Indisposition
by Birdhouse in your Soul
Summary: Born of the darkness, walking a path of damnation, a puppet to that which created him... He was the hand of Death, and he killed without purpose. He killed to obliterate them all... To build a new world fit for his creator to inhabit. Nightmare centric.
1. Act I : Sin

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Soul Calibur. Would be DAMN SKIPPY if I did, and Nightmare would have a face.  
An AMAZING face.  
I do, however, probably own any characters you don't recognize. You steal, and I kick your arse to the moon and back.

**A/N:** This story supports Nightmare being a completely separate entity from both Siegfried and Soul Edge. This story also supports Nightmare getting to tell his side of the story for once instaed of him just being there for Siegfried to kick the crap out of. This is not a happy story. There will be no noble quests for redemption and vanquishing evil.  
Just Nightmare being Nightmare. Sorry to all those of you out there who like that other sort of stuff.

Now, that said, I would greatly appreciate constrctive reveiws, as this is my first attempt at a SC fanfic with a non-humorous undertone. Thanks in advance.

* * *

**ACT I : SIN**

A shaft of sunlight pierced through the intricately wrought glass designs of the towering windows, bathing the temple's floor in a light that seemed to saturate its surroundings.

A priestess knelt at the altar, her head bowed in prayer. She was garbed in white, with a thin plate of armor over her robes and a longsword at her belt. Her gold hair had pulled back in a ponytail, and the too-long pieces in the front fell into her dark brown eyes. She rose to her feet when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Good day, Ishtar."

She turned, nodding in greeting the approaching necromancer. Though they belonged to the same order, their viewpoints and standing were so vastly different that they may as well have been black and white.

"Good day to you as well, Septimus. What brings you here?"

Septimus smiled, stopping in front of her. He, in contrast, wore the deep indigo and black robes of the members of the order who had chosen the path of darkness. His hair, which fell to his shoulders, was silver, and his eyes were a few shades darker, more of a slate-gray. "I regularly visit this part of the temple."

"But... Shouldn't you be..." She stopped.

"...In the lower levels, with the rest of my lot?" His smile faded. Venom entered his eyes.

Ishtar shook her head. "Forgive me. I meant no offense. Rather, it is odd that a necromancer would come here, you usually have few dealings with our kind."

"Nay, I believe our coexistence is vital to the survival of this order. I was hoping I would find you here, actually..."

"Oh? And why, pray tell?"

"I find your veiws on the world fascinating, Ishtar. I can never fathom them for the life of me, no matter how many of your priestesses explain them, but still... I love to talk of them. Contrast, such sharp contrast to my own..."

Ishtar merely shook her head again. "Forgive me, Septimus... I fear I know not of what you speak."

"You who follow the light find your power in faith. You believe in that which is intangible, that which you cannot see, cannot hear, cannot feel. That which may not exist."

Ishtar stepped forward. "Do you mock our way of life, Septimus?"

"No. Allow me to continue." He remained where he stood, looking her straight in the eyes. "We of the dark draw strength from knowledge, from understanding. We seek enlightenment on everything, and do not believe in that which we cannot observe."

Ishtar blinked. "And? What is it you are hoping to accomplish in saying all this?"

Septimus moved slowly, holding out the bundle he had carried in with him, which Ishtar had only just taken notice of. Carefully, he unwrapped the layers of cloth until the bundle was revealed to be a sword, ancient and rusted. The parts untouched by age gleamed wickedly in the beams of sunlight that shone through the windows.

"Septimus... What is...?" Ishtar took a few more steps towards him. He was not a combatant, he was a scholar. What use could he possibly have for something like this? Unable to stop herself, she reached out to touch the blade. Then, with a gasp, she pulled her hand back. The power slammed into her like an electric shock. For what infinitesimal amount of time she had made contact, she could have sworn she heard voices... Whispers... of the dead and the damned.

"This is the blade said to have been used since the very first war ever fought by mankind. You see, Ishtar, I believe that as powerful as our lifestyles are on their own, they can become allmighty when united... I am going to awaken the latent darkness of the abyss using the souls of those who died on this blade as sacrifice... I will put faith in that darkness... In order to achieve absolute knowledge."

Ishtar could only stare at him. Septimus... She had always known he had far-fetched ideas, ever since they were children, but_ this_? He truly sounded like a madman.

"You do realize what this would mean?" she asked him, an edge entering her voice. "You will bring destruction on the world, Septimus!"

He shook his head, holding the blade close to his chest. "I will be in control of its powers. I will ensure its power does not spiral out of control." His voice was softer now, the words a promise. "I...I had hoped you would understand, Ishtar. But alas, I hoped in vain. In time, you will come to understand..."

He turned and slowly exited the room, his footsteps fading eerily into the hallways.

* * *

"O, great and immeasurable shadows, take this offering of souls of the dead, and one of my own blood. My body will be thy vessel... I offer you myself, body and soul, in exchange for the infinite knowledge it is within your power to bestow.  
Awaken... and hear my adulation..."

From the gash on his arm, Septimus watched, transfixed, as his blood dripped onto the rusted sword on the dark altar. The feeling of the presence of the darkness he had summoned slowly but surely became stronger, the sounds of the voices of his sacrifices more prominent. A final cry of defiance before they were forever silenced.

Then, everything was bathed in black.

The darkness was stifling. Septimus felt his chest tighten, he had to struggle to breathe. A voice, powerful but without identity, spoke to him.

_You would seek to house this power, mortal?_

Without hesitation, he answered: "Yes."

The voice seemed to laugh. _Very well... But know that your frail human mind was not meant to contain such vast reserves of knowledge..._

"Oh, wasn't it?"

Now the voice was booming with laughter, though it was cold. Lifeless. _You do amuse me, human! I shall enjoy using you as my vessel!_

The sword on the altar had begun to contort. Tendrils of flesh crawled across its surface. A huge eye opened just above the hilt.

As if to answer the question forming in Septimus's mind, the darkness stated, _Your human bodies are vulnerable, and weak. This... This blade shall be the true vessel, for it is far less easily destroyed... You... shall be the puppet..._

And then the knowledge, the understanding, filled his mind. Filled it to the brink. Millennia, generations of human existence, farther back, to prehistoric times, back before the birth of the Earth, to the days when primordial darkness had ruled every stretch of time and space...

_Complete enlightenment... Exactly what you wished for._

Then, it broke him. He fell to his knees, the darkness receded. It took all his strength to raise his head and look into the eye of the blade that now housed the essence of night itself.

_Fool human... You have opened the gates of hell on the world of mortals! Not a single living soul will be spared my wrath! I shall claim my rightful position as ruler of all, and you, my puppet, will be the hand that slays that which stands in my way!_

_Death! Death to them all!_


	2. Act II : Birth

**ACT II : BIRTH**

"Siegfried!"

Their voices didn't reach his ears. If they did, he took no notice.

Siegfried Schtauffen was preoccupied with staring, in disbelief, at the decapitated body of his father, and his father's blood on his own sword, dripping off his blade onto the dark earth.

_An accident... A simple accident..._

But with such catastrophic consequences.

"Siegfried?" The older boy. They'd been friends since before they could walk. Why couldn't he remember the boy's name? Why did his voice, which had a mere minute ago sounded so familiar, sound so foreign now?

"Sieg. Put your sword down. Come over here and sit down. It's okay." The girl. Her name wasn't there either. Her words didn't register, and he began to walk away from them.

They called out to him, but they did not give chase. He walked through the light, drizzling rain for what seemed like an eternity before it all slammed into him-

_Someone... someone killed my father... my father is dead! No! No!_

The rains washed the blood from the blade in his hand, and so too was the memory of his own sin washed from his mind...

* * *

The legendary blade stood, embedded in the soft wood of the dock, resplendent in its promises of power.

Siegfried glanced at the pile of bones that he had felled to win this blade. The Sword of Legends... with this, if the stories were true, he could resurrect his father. With a confident step forward, he reached out and gripped the fleshy hilt of the blade.

_Awakened me so soon?_

Siegfried jumped at the sound of the voice. It seemed to come from nowhere, yet it came from everywhere. He could not distinguish if it was male or female, young or old, friend or foe. All he could tell was that it spoke.

_You would seek to use my power, human..._

The grotesque eye above the hilt stared at him knowingly. It was a gaze that peirced right through him, through to all his thoughts, all his secrets.

"Y-yes. I do."

_Very well... However... I ask of you in return that you allow me to use that body of yours as a vessel... for which to channel my power._

"Your... Power?"

_The souls of the living..._ The eye of the blade narrowed with pleasure at the thought of consuming more essences. _You must kill humans... Harvest their souls... When you have gathered enough, I shall bring back your father._

"My father! You can... you can do that?"

_Nothing is beyond my power, mortal... Nothing. Now, accept the darkness into your soul..._

_Heheheh... Fool human. Those whose souls are lost to death can never return. Now, look upon true fear! Remember why your kind fears the darkness..._

_Death! Death to them all!_

* * *

The essence of the dark that was housed within Soul Edge was thinking. Pondering. Musing. Mulling over the complications these human vessels always seemed to have. Septimus would have been a loyal servant if not for his love for the priestess woman... It had made him weak... And in the end, it was she who killed him. The next vessel, the warrior woman, had thought herself the protector of everything. She refused to comply with any of the blade's orders. And so it went.

Love...justice...vengeance...power... Every one of the sword's wielders so far had an ulterior motive, something to distract them from simply slaughtering any who crossed their path without question. This fool who had just taken up the hilt was no exception.

But... If he were to create a new being... One who existed only to serve him...

A look of smug satisfaction sparked in the blade's eye.

* * *

_Awaken, puppet._

Flame-colored eyes slowly opened to the sunlight. A massive, clawed hand rose to shield them.

He blinked a few times until the light was bearable. Slowly, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, looking around the dock where he sat. A newborn entity, he knew nothing, and without moving he began to take in his surroundings. The smell of seawater, the slight chill of the early autumn air, the dim light of the stormy sky, it was all unfamiliar.

Then, he saw the sword.

Somehow, though he knew nothing yet, he did know that this sword was what had created him. The eye was familiar, the only familiar thing here, and when he looked at it, he knew. Like an infant could recognize their parent, he knew this blade.

Though merely a newborn demon, he had the look of an older human boy, save for the twisted, leathery flesh and gargantuan claws of his right arm. Eyes that burned like live coals, and a brilliant shock of blood-red hair.

_Welcome, my puppet... Welcome to the world of the mortals._


	3. Act III : Malice

**ACT III : MALICE**

He learned quickly, as each day that went by, Soul Edge slowly fed him a general understanding of the world.

He stayed on the dock for the first few days, but when the sword had sensed humans moving closer it had forced him onwards, into the forests. He was not ready for combat yet, not when he could barely walk.

But soon, he would be...

He stumbled through the woods for days until finally he had become too weak and exhausted to continue. He collapsed under an outcropping, but he did not sleep.

_You will overcome the limitations of this body soon enough, _the blade promised. _For now, you will have to share it with that fool human... But soon, I will have the power to grant you your own..._

_And then,_ it thought to itself, _then you will truly be the loyal puppet I created you to be._

He could only look into the blade's eye in response. He could hear its words, but he did not fully understand yet. He knew the other being it spoke of, however, the human... The other voice that sometime managed to cry out, though it was weak, insubstantial.

_Out... I want out..._

_Pay no heed to the ramblings of that worm,_ the sword said, its voice now an irritated hiss. _This was his choice... He gave up his body..._

He looked away from the eye of the blade, up at the stormclouds that had rolled in. Rain started to fall. He backed against the wall of the rocky outcropping to avoid getting wet.

The sword was right. This was his body now, and that weak voice that kept interrupting his thoughts was the invader. But when the invader was one of his mind, what could he do?

For now, he willed it to be silent.

* * *

_You have done well in coming this far... There is a human settlement close. Raze it to the ground...Let none remain alive. It is time for our first harvest._

He was still unaware of what it meant in saying this. Harvest...? Nonetheless, he continued forward until he came to the village the sword had spoken of. There were humans moving around within, and he waited for a moment on the edge of the trees, watching. Children darted around the streets, shrieking with laughter. Parents yelled in irritated voices for them to stop. A few carried supplies, tools, food, or firewood. Preparation for the winter that was fast approaching.

He did not move forward, rather, he waited for a few moments, observing.

_This is your sustenance, my puppet... Your prey..._

And then, the other voice, made suddenly more powerful by the sight of civilization, memories of his old life, spoke up.

_No! They're innocents! You can't kill them..._

That voice... Determined, self-righteous... so irritating. This was his body now, and that lowly maggot had no say in what transpired from this point forth.

_Hahaha... Go on, just try to resist... This body no longer belongs to you, fool..._ The blade hissed.

Still, the voice cried out. But it grew weaker once more, just the faded ramblings of an insignificant insect.

He had observed enough. He moved forward.

_Do not reveal yourself to them just yet. Humans abhor that which is different from themselves... And you do not entirely resemble them..._

He looked at his right arm. Soul Edge was correct. He had not seen another human with such a monstrous appendage. So, obeying its order, he remained in the trees for as long as he could until he was forced into an empty street. He was closer to the humans now, and he could feel the life force radiating from them... Power that he now wanted nothing more than to add to his own.

_Heheh... And these are only the weaklings. Imagine the souls you'll reap on the battlefield..._

He was nearly giddy with the thought that there was more power than this to be found in the humans, but he was drawn back to the essences of those he was encountering now. He couldn't take their souls soon enough... He did not know how he would do it, but he trusted that this strange blade, which he had come to see as something like a parent in the short few days of his existence, would show him the way.

He rounded a corner, inhaling a deep breath of the cold, damp morning air. It was almost as if the very air itself held some sort of power. And these were only the weaklings?

He was about to keep moving when he felt it - a human was moving closer. He waited patiently as a man, weathered-looking but tall and strong, approached him. There was no hostility in his expression, as the blade's puppet was turned slightly so that his malformed arm was mostly hidden from veiw.

"I take it you're not from here, hm? You a drifter or something?"

He had a vague understanding of the words the man spoke, but he could find none of his own to form a response.

"Come on, answer me... Can you not sp--" The man stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as the demon turned so that he was now directly facing him. "Th...that... your arm... what... what happened to... What... are you?"

He looked down at his arm, then back up at the man. His expression remained blank.

"Monster... You're a monster..."

He watched, with detached curiosity, as the man produced a shortsword and readied himself to strike. When the strike came, he managed a sloppy dodge partially out of instinctual self-preservation and partially because the movement had been forced by Soul Edge. But he hadn't managed to avoid it completely, and now dark blood was oozing from the wound his left shoulder had received. It left a stain on his already grimy tunic. A wave of pain hit seconds later, and his clawed hand automatically flew to the wound.

_Oh, look... He's injured you. Fool human... Why don't... you return the favor?_

Yes... He would do just that. Hatred, rage at this worm, welled up, and he gripped his own blade tighter in his fist. He took a step forward, and swung the sword expertly, as though combat was second nature. The man tried to parry, but his blade was knocked aside like a child's toy and the cursed blade connected with the side of his neck, severing his head. It hit the ground with a satisfying _thud_, and blood spurted from the open veins, splattering over the cobbled street.

And then, that power, that wave of power came. He shuddered. It was incredible, stealing that human's life force.

_And that was only one weakling, my child..._

Only one... it was only one! If just one held this much power, this much substance... What would more be?

_What would this whole village be...?_

Yes, the blade was right. The whole village would be unfathomable. That much power... He needed that power.

Slowly, he moved onwards, following the beckoning whispers of the human essences he longed so much to consume...

* * *

_Look, my puppet._

He pulled the sword from the now-dead blacksmith, kicking the body aside. The power came in a rush again. It almost made him dizzy.

_On the walls, here... That is armor. It will offer you some protection against whatever fool humans dare to attack you like the first did. Take it. There isn't anything to stop you... You are entitled to it._

He did take it, looking over a few different sets of the platemail before settling on one that seemed most likely to fit him. It was a dull, metallic blue in color.

With some difficulty, he managed to put each piece on. He tossed aside the right gauntlet, as it would not fit and the thick, leathery skin of that arm was protection enough. At last, to finish, he reached for the helmet, slowly slipping it onto his head. It had a full visor, completely obscuring his face save for his flame-colored eyes, which glowed eerily from beneath the helmet's shadow. Two grooved metal fins started at the center of its top, ending at the back of his neck, and a single steel horn protruded from the front, over his forehead.

He liked the helmet, and the way it hid his face from view. He felt somehow less exposed. And it only added to his inhuman appearance, which would draw a challenge...

He knew what he had to do now. He would slaughter any who crossed his path, taking their souls as he did, acquiring their power to add to his own...

_Yes, go my child! Show the fool humans what they have long since forgotten! Make them remember why they fear the darkness!_

_Let none remain in your wake!_

_Death! Death to them all!_


	4. Act IV : Hunt

**ACT IV : HUNT**

A month passed.

He walked, guided by the call of human souls, slaughtering them as they approached. He travelled slowly across Europe, and as he did, rumors travelled ahead of him. The blue armor he wore that once held a brilliant metallic sheen, now filthy and covered in blood and grime, had earned him a nickname - The Azure Knight.

When the name was spoken, it was spoken with fear.

Though still inexperienced, his understanding of the world was steadily increasing. He observed, he listened to the blade that guided him, he learned.

And as he trudged on through the forests of Germany, his path faintly illuminated by the weak light of the rising sun, he could feel it - though it was miles away, he could sense a mass of human souls, the strongest he had ever encountered. He had followed the call well.

_An army of humans, my child... Warriors. These kinds of humans are the strongest of all. Though your strength far surpasses that of any individual, they vastly outnumber you. It poses a threat... Take care you are not caught off guard._

He would. Nothing was going to stand in his way of consuming their souls. Nothing.

* * *

He eventually came to the place of this human gathering, and watching them all move around the field laid out before him made him shiver with anticipation. Where to start? Which one to kill first? But there were so many, and the sword had warned him that they were quite capable of causing him injury if they wished it.

A smaller group moved about on the outskirts. Five, perhaps six. He would start with them.

He closed in on them quickly, as they had stopped to rest. He hid in the trees, where he would not be seen, and waited for an opportunity to strike.

One man continually glanced into the shadows of the woods, trying to source the faint sounds he had heard when the demon puppet approached. As the young warrior gathered the attention of his comrades, the puppet dared not move. Any movement would attract attention to his position.

After a few moments, the humans had written the young man's concerns off as the result of too little sleep and they all turned their attention back to talk of a reconnaissance strategy.

He rushed forward.

He had been fully ready to strike when the voice, that damned voice, screamed out in protest, the strongest it had ever been.

_Johan! Josef! Rawlin! You can't kill them - you can't!_

The unexpected force of the voice had caused him to hesitate, and thus given the prey time to ready themselves. One lashed out. Managed to strike him in the area of his abdomen left unprotected by his armor.

An injury. The pain was minor, but it angered him. He looked from face to face of the men he had come to kill - three sparked a strong wave of recognition from the host's mind. An older man, with raven-black hair that was beginning to gray on the sides. A boy, evidently his son from the resemblance, with a look of something that could almost be called amusement on his face. And the young man who had first heard him in the forest, another of the older human's offspring. His hair was dark auburn rather than black, but he had the same eyes. And gripped in the human's fist was a small axe. Blood dripped from its tip. _His _blood.

This human would die first.

A swift swing upwards knocked the weapon from the young man's hands and he frantically tried to make a grab for it. While he was distracted, another swing took off his head. It hit the ground and rolled before coming to a stop, and the rest of the body soon collapsed as well.

Dead silence. Every one of the humans stood motionless, dumbstruck.

Then, a cry of outrage from the boy. "_Rawlin! _Son of a bitch, you killed my brother! _I'll rip you to shreds!"_

The boy picked up the axe that had moments earlier been in the hands of his now-dead brother and charged, swinging the axe out ahead of him. The sword's puppet caught it in a parry, broke the hold their weapons had established on eachother, and thrust the sword forward, through the boy's chest. He slammed a booted foot into his stomach and ripped the sword away. More blood soaked the damp earth.

The power was coming again. He was enjoying this.

The other humans also made futile attempts to attack him, which he easily overcame. The rest were dead within minutes.

Except for one.

"N-no... My sons, y-you killed them... _You killed them! You bastard, you murderer! Who the hell are you?!"_

He stepped forward, sneering beneath his metal mask.

"I am... That which will remind you fool humans why you fear the dark."

It was the first time he had spoken, the first time he had used his voice. He liked the way it sounded. His own voice...

"Fear, why is there anything to fear now?! My sons are dead, you've taken everything from me! _I'll kill you!"_

The man snatched up a longsword and lunged, but the demon managed to knock it aside and slashed across the man's chest with his claws. He stumbled forward a few feet before collapsing onto the muddy ground, moaning in pain.

The human was not dead yet, but anger distracted him from finishing the job. That stupid fool, the inferior host, that _maggot's_ memories were what led him here!

_Yes, my puppet, the human is an irritating inconvenience, and one that I shall rid you of very soon. However... While you are still required to share this body... Perhaps he could be of some miniscule amount of use to us... He led you to these humans, so perhaps he could lead you to more until you have the skill to track them on your own..._

A brilliant plan. Use the fool to his own advantage.

But now, the human's despair loomed sickeningly, irritatingly in the back of his mind. _Rawlin... Josef... and now probably Johan, too... all killed while I had to watch through this monster's eyes... This... a living hell... a nightmare... a nightmare, that's all this can be..._

The blade laughed, a sudden burst of cold, heartless laughter.

_Oh, yes, human! You put it so well, that is exactly what this is! A nightmare, a nightmare from which there is no awakening! That, my puppet, shall be your name... There is none more fitting to describe what you will truly be to every one of these imbeciles who dares stand in my way!_

_You are the Nightmare that has come to destroy all their happy dreams!_


	5. Act V : Testament

**ACT V : TESTAMENT**

Leaving the human to die there in the forest, surrounded by his fallen comrades, the newly named Nightmare moved forward.

After all, there was an entire army of humans ahead. And they were all as strong as the ones he had just felled. He could feel it in the air. His pace quickened.

_Yes, good. More. Kill more._

As he approached, he rushed upon a human who foolishly had his back turned, cleaving his entire body in two with a single sweep. The rush of power came, as it always did. Another noticed the assault and charged at him. He stabbed the blade upward through the man's jaw and the tip exited the top of his head.

Blood soaked the earth, mixing with the softly falling rain that had begun to run grimy rivulets over the surface of his armor. He worked his way through the mass of soldiers, slaughtering them as they crossed his path. Those who were not stupid enough to end their lives on the brash instinct to charge at him fled, but fleeing would do them no good...

_You can run all you wish, pitiful little maggots, but it will only gain you a pathetically insignificant amount of time before you all fall to my puppet..._

* * *

Since the humans were focused on attacking another army, they did not have much time to spend on going after the vagabond killer. But word quickly spread among the soldiers as Nightmare struck and disappeared again and again.

"Sir, I've brought a report," a young soldier stated nervously to his commanding officer as he skittishly rushed into the man's tent.

"Well, what is it, boy? Don't stand there looking like you're facing down death. Speak!" the commander ordered.

"Our attack on the enemy is all but over," the soldier stated, composing himself. "Lord Stefan's forces are severely weakened and are proving to be no trouble to eliminate."

The commander gave a hearty laugh. "Then why, pray tell, did you come in here white as a sheet? I understand I can be a frightening man when I so choose, Bleiys, but that is no reason to act as though I am the Devil himself--"

"Sir..." The boy interrupted with a frown. "Some of the men have reported seeing the Azure Knight on the battlefield. Apparently he is responsible for a great many seemingly inexplicable deaths that have been occuring in scattered areas throughout our ranks. Also, Captain Johan Durer's entire unit was found dead. The captain himself suffers grave injuries."

The commander went silent.

He was not a superstitious man, and when the stories of the demon knight who slaughtered any human he came across - man, woman, and child - had first reached him, he had dismissed it as no more than a fairytale told by bored soldiers with nothing to do while they sat around their campfires.

A supposed sighting of the monster, coupled with this wave of strange occurences and Lord Stefan's sudden stroke of mental illness, seemed too closely linked to be entirely coincidental... Then again, perhaps it was those things that had the men on edge, and in their panic, they had jumped to conclusions.

He stood, shaking his head, and stepped forward to give the young man an encouraging clap on the back. "My boy, frightened soldiers will believe almost anything they think they have seen. I have heard quite a few ridiculous stories in my day. I get the feeling that this is no exception. Now, if you would, head back and tell the men that they are merely seeing things and should continue on with the seige as planned." He frowned. "As for Durer's unit... That is rather alarming news, but we will have to look into it once this battle is over."

The soldier hesitantly nodded and exited the tent to carry out his orders.

"Hmm... Demons walking the earth... Now that's one I haven't heard too many times..." The old commander shook his head once more and left the tent himself for a breath of fresh air.

The rain was still falling, and it made the battlefield seem oddly serene. The sounds of battle were muffled, seeming far off... He watched as the armies advanced further, and a triumphant smile came across his face. Here was one more victory he would add to a long list of them since the day he had first taken the position of commander. The scent of the rain on the air was crisp and clean, as if to signal that this was a new and better start for the kingdom of Ostriensburg.

Then, he smelled something else, and a cold feeling of dread flooded his veins.

Blood. And the rank, musty scent of death.

He turned slowly to try and place its source, and came face-to-face with the very being whose existence he had denied mere minutes earlier. He stood motionless, daring not even to breathe, for a moment, as he took in the sight.

He looked human enough, save for the horribly twisted flesh of his right arm and the three enormous jagged claws on his hand. The suit of armor was covered in splatters of blood, dirt, and was beginning to rust in places. The helmet hid all but his glowing orange eyes, which peirced through its shadow like firelight.

And in his hand, the massive, flesh-covered blade's eye looked at the commander with a sort of malevolent longing.

Hunger.

The second his mind had begun to work again, the old man quickly drew the blade at his belt - he was an expert at combat, few had ever beaten him - and made a slash for the knight's head, which he dodged. The knight rose to his feet again and slashed at the man's legs, succeeding in taking one off just below the knee. The man let out a cry of pain and fell forward, catching himself before he hit the ground. The sword was still gripped in his hand, and he tried to use it to push himself back up as he watched the monster that was slowly closing in on him.

The tip of the blade met the underside of his chin, lifting his head so that he was forced to look into his opponent's eyes.

"You have a strong essence, human..."

"What?" Even here, with a leg missing and death clearly looming ahead, the man managed an annoyed tone. "Who are you? What are you doing, wandering around here?"

"I am the spawn of he who shall reclaim his rightful position as ruler of this miserable peice of dirt you humans call home, as well as the realms beyond. It is my duty to ensure that the likes of you are not in his way once he has gained enough power to come back in his true form."

The commander only stared. What was he speaking of? Ruler? True form?

"If there is any god you feel has not forsaken you... I suggest you pray."

These words had scarcely reached the man's ears when the blade met where his neck connected with his shoulder and sliced diagonally downward, splitting his body in half.

His last vision in the few seconds he had before finally dying was of the glowing essence of his life force, his very soul, enveloping the blade in the knight's hand... And the look of malicious pleasure in the blade's eye as that essence faded, devoured like so many others.

* * *

As their numbers steadily decreased, chaos abounded.

Nightmare had succeeded in killing nearly half of the soldiers stationed on this battlefield, consuming their souls and listening to the orders the blade gave him. Every once in a while, the human host's voice would ring out, but he for the most part ignored the meaningless rabble spoken by that fool and continued on with his massacre.

After a time, he sensed a new essence. This one was different. More powerful than any of the humans. He began to search for its owner, fully intent having that power.

Eventually, he found what he was looking for.

He almost had the visage of a human man. He was an enormous, towering wall of a beast, and thick muscles were easily visible, as he was garbed in little more than a loincloth and a few spiked straps that crossed his chest just below an exposed heart. Every beat of it could be seen.

The lower half of his face was covered by a metal faceguard. Milk-white eyes that lacked both irises and pupils looked out over top of it, and a few bulging veins stood out on his bald head.

Gripped in one gloved hand, the beast held an axe almost as large as he was.

Nightmare waited as the colossal creature turned and faced him. He would have to fight this batle carefully.

_Wait._

The blade spoke out, and Nightmare was confused. Wait? It had never told him to wait before consuming an essence.

_He is not a human, but a golem. He is strong, my puppet, and he may be of more use to you as a servant than a sacrifice. Do not fight him unless he refuses to comply with your orders. When he has outlived his usefulness... Then you may kill him._

A servant... might be useful.

The golem spoke first in a deep, rumbling voice. "Is that blade you have there the one they call Soul Edge?"

Nightmare looked down into the eye of the sword and it looked back up at him, as if urging him on. "Yes... it is."

The golem looked at it in fascination. That was the blade his master had sent him to retrieve. But he could sense its power, and it was weak. It needed more human souls in order to become an acceptable offering to Ares...

"Listen to me, and listen well. I am the herald of the being within this blade, and I do its bidding," Nightmare stated, narrowing his eyes. "That bidding includes killing all who are fool enough to cross paths with me. But you... may be of more use to me if left alive. I will give you one chance to live, and should you refuse it, I will kill you where you stand. You will become my servant, or you will die. Make your choice."

The golem considered his words. A servant? He, too, could collect souls to offer to the blade... With another contributing as well, the sword's power would increase more quickly. And when it was ready... He would kill its weilder and take it back to Kupaetku, who would offer it to Ares.

"...I will become your servant."

Nightmare still only stood there, the blade held at his side. "Very well. And what name would you be called by, golem?"

"Astaroth."

Nightmare nodded. "Astaroth, your first order is to clear the miserable humans off this battlefeild."

"Understood." Astaroth left immediately, and Nightmare began to head off himself, intent on doing the same.

_An army, my child... You must gather an army to assist you in this task, and when the time comes, even they shall fall to you..._

_Heheheh... This is only just beginning..._


	6. Act VI : Sanctuary

**ACT VI : SANCTUARY**

In a few mere hours, the battlefield was nearly devoid of life. Those soldiers who had not yet been killed had retreated.

Nightmare approached the castle of Ostreinsburg. The rain was falling heavier now, rapping loudly against the surface of his helmet. Its quieting as he stepped inside the shelter of the castle had an almost eerie effect.

"Halt! You dare enter the castle of Ostreinsburg, fortress of Lord Stefan himself?"

Humans and their annoying self-righteous declarations... The guard who had spoken the words spoke them with no confidence, however. He knew what he was facing. Yet he chose to stand his ground anyway? What a fool.

Nightmare simply decapitated him in a single sweep and continued to trudge onward.

There were naught but weak souls within this castle's confines. So why, then, had the blade led him here?

_Ostreinsburg... Lord Stefan... This is where my journey to find the sword began..._

He stopped dead in his tracks. It hadn't been Soul Edge leading him here at all... It was that human's memories, again!

_Soon...soon... The human will be gone... I understand you find sharing your body repulsive. The human... will be gone soon. For now, do as I have told you, and let his memories lead you to more prey..._

Of course... But these humans were of little use. Time to move on.

_Kill them anyway. Then, you may take this castle as your own..._

Yes, a place to set up a base of operations. A sanctuary to return to, where ever the hunt brought him... A place to call home. Something about the idea appealed to him.

Though these humans' souls were weak, he would find and kill them all. They were, after all, trespassers in his new _home_...

* * *

It did not take long before he had found the last of them. The "lord" of the castle. Hardly a title befitting the man anymore.

He was babbling incoherently, staring ahead, unblinking. Matted brown hair hung in filthy strands around a scarred, gaunt face. He was delirious, dying a slow death of madness.

_Lord Stefan..._

And this human host pitied the man?

"How_ pathetic_..."

Nightmare impaled the man on the end of his massive blade and tossed aside his body, disgusted. This human's sickened, starved soul was hardly even worth the effort to kill the man.

"...I took care of the stragglers."

He turned to see the golem entering the room, his grim and gory battle axe slung over his shoulder. The massive man stopped and stood, waiting for either praise or further instruction, but Nightmare had neither to give.

_You will return to this place in due time, child. For now, there is nothing else to be gained from it... More travel is necessary... The human surely knows of more human settlements... Allow him to lead you there._

The human's presence grew more prominent, strengthened by opposition to the sword's plan. _No! I won't let you use my memories for your purposes! I won't let you sacrifice everyone I care about! I won't!_

_As I recall, human, you offered up your body to me and agreed to assist in my harvest of human souls. Do you not remember?_ The blade hissed.

_I said I would in exchange for my father's life back! Not in order to see every other one I care about brought down by the thing you made and housed in my body! You lied to me!_

_Because you fool humans are so easily led astray! How stupid and naive can you possibly be, to expect truth from a being such as myself?! I am darkness itself! I am the endless night! I will consume all! I will use you humans for my own purposes as I see fit, and I bear no obligation to answer to you in any way whatsoever!_

The human's frantic thoughts, weakened now by despair, faded to faint murmurs.

Nightmare, feeling a faintly smug satisfaction at the fool's utter helplessness, laughed quietly before turning back to Astaroth.

"We must move again. There is nothing more to be gained here in the way of human souls. We will return later."

The golem stood motionless, with ambivalent acceptance of the order. "Alright."

Nightmare strode past him, down the halls of the castle, and back into the heavy rainfall on the bloodied field ahead. It was as though the heavens were trying to purge the earth of this monstrosity, but all for naught, as the rain could not even fully mask the scent of freshly spilled blood.

There was another village close to here. The human knew of it, he had been raised there.

"Try all you wish to stop me, human... All will fall to me in due time..."

* * *

For days, Nightmare walked, followed closely by Astaroth. The golem did not tire as quickly a human might, and thus had no trouble in keeping up with the knight's incessant pace. They encountered small groups of humans along the way, slaughtering them without question.

_Your servant has collected a great many souls, my puppet. It is best you take them in case he possesses the ability to derive any sort of use from them. Take his weapon... Let their souls join those that I have consumed._

"Astaroth."

The golem stopped, looking down at his master. "Hmm?"

"Give me your weapon. I must channel the souls you have collected into Soul Edge."

The golem did not seem happy to comply, but held out the massive axe to Nightmare anyway. He took hold of the handle, slightly surprised by its weight, and allowed the power to channel from it to his own blade. There were a great many indeed, and the enormous surge of power, so many at once, was almost overwhelming.

_This method must be regularly used with any servants you take to add to my power and ensure that they do not have too much of their own. Take note, child._

Nightmare inwardly accepted the order before handing the axe back to Astaroth and continuing towards the village he had seen in his host's memories.

Six days passed and they encountered no more humans. Though Astaroth was only annoyed with this fact, as he killed humans for the fun of it, Nightmare needed the souls to survive. He was suffering his version of a slow starvation and steadily increasing fatigue, much as he had in his first few days of life. Even though he had gained power from Astaroth's reapings, they had been swallowed by Soul Edge, and he needed more to stay alive.

He stopped when he could go no further, as he was greatly exhausted, only a few miles from the settlement. Astaroth stopped with him, boredly examining his surroundings before going off to search around for humans of his own accord.

Nightmare was falling asleep. For the first time, the sword was outraged with him.

_No! You fool, if you allow yourself to be left vulnerable like that, the human will take over this body again!_

He tried to stand again, to keep going, but he could not muster the energy even for that. And, despite the sword's protests, he had succumbed to his exhaustion, and sleep dragged him under.

* * *

Siegfried Schtauffen had at last regained control of his body.

Gasping, he tore the filth-covered blue armor off piece by piece until he was left with only the chainmail and tunic. Where the right sleeve was torn away, leaving tattered shreds of threadbare fabric, he could see that his arm was no longer the monstrous clawed one that Nightmare's had been.

He scrambled to his feet. He recognized where he was, his father had taken him hunting here many times before.

_Father..._

No, he couldn't think about that now. He had to get to the village, he had to warn them, because he didn't know how much longer the demon that used his body as a host would stay dormant.

He looked back at the sword that commanded the puppet. Its single eye was watching him carefully. What should he do with it? He was afraid to make contact with it, after all, that was how it had used his body to house its puppet. But he had to show it to someone, reveal the so-called Sword of Legend for what it really was, and find a way to destroy it.

Cautiously, he stepped forward, gingerly gripping the gnarled hilt. Nightmare's mind was out of reach for the time being, and the sword controlled him, not Siegfried, thus the sword could do nothing at this moment.

_Enjoy freedom while you can... My puppet will be awake again soon..._

Siegfried had the grim realization that the sword was probably right. Carrying it with him, he started towards the village where he had spent most of his life. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, slowing to a stop when he heard voices. Voices he recognized.

Relief flooded his mind. "Burke! Cadel!"

The two men stopped, taking in the sight of their friend, gaunt and grimy, leaning against the tree. They rushed forward.

"Siegfried! You're alive! We thought- Well, everyone in the village - thought you were dead. Your father..." Cadel trailed off, biting his lip.

Siegfried shook his head. "I know."

"What happened? Where have you been?" Burke asked. He caught sight of the sword gripped in Siegfried's shaking hand. "And... What is...?"

Siegfried looked down at it. It returned his gaze, fury blazing in its eye.

He had to warn them. He had to warn them _now_. Before they too fell victim to its insatiable thirst for human lives...

_Fool... Do you really think you can save them?_

_Can you save anyone?_

_There is no defying my power... Everlasting and boundless is the dominion of the night!_


	7. Act VII : Defiance

**ACT VII : DEFIANCE**

The power overtook Siegfried with such force he dropped to his knees. Nightmare was awake.

The flesh of his right arm contorted and writhed until it was as it had been before - leathery, a mottled greenish-brown, with numerous spines and three massive claws. His hair turned from golden blonde to bright crimson as though it was suddenly soaked in blood, and emerald-green irises turned to the color of flames once more.

Burke and Cadel stood motionless, dumbstruck.

Nightmare rose to his feet. "How ironic, miserable human... In your attempt to save these pathetic maggots, you lead me right to them." Siegfried's protests grated against his consciousness, stronger than ever, alternatively begging and threatening. _Irritating noise._

He and Soul Edge shared the same rush, the same moment of giddiness when he rushed at the two men - they were unarmed, defenseless, and the first, Cadel, went down immediately, felled by a single sweep that tore across his chest. Burke's fighting instinct kicked in and he threw himself at the demon puppet, trying to tackle him to the ground. Ordinarily, Nightmare could have torn the man away easily, but he was weakened - what little sleep he had gotten hadn't managed to restore any of his energy.

Burke had him from behind, now, in a headlock, with his forearms pressed against Nightmare's windpipe, choking him. He clawed at the man's arms until all that remained of them were bloody ribbons of flesh over exposed bone, but his grip did not loosen. He would hold on until either he or Nightmare were dead.

He managed a rasping growl of frustration. Fear wasn't an emotion he was familiar with, Soul Edge had suppressed all traces of that, as it would hinder his resolve, his impulsive inclination to destroy everything in his path. But beyond the anger at barely being able to breathe, uneasiness had started to work its way in. He was not invincible... Was it possible he could be made to face death just as he made these pathetic weaklings?

Just as he started to feel the world move in circles around him, and the dull ache in his chest turned to a stabbing agony, screaming for air, something pulled Burke away, off of him, and he took in an enormous, stinging breath, coughing slightly. He turned in time to see Burke slammed into the ground on the end of Astaroth's enormous battle axe.

There seemed to be no urgency behind the action, however, and Astaroth didn't appear the least bit concerned as Nightmare sat, taking in grateful lungfuls of air for a few moments before he had steadied himself enough to speak.

"Astaroth. Go to the village. Don't let yourself be seen. When you return I expect to know if there are any worth taking. If not, we move on." He didn't bother to express any gratitude for Astaroth's assistance in the fight. The way he saw it, Astaroth was a pawn, a tool to be used, and his help was Nightmare's right - no, Astaroth's duty as a servant.

The golem shrugged and trudged off towards the village at the bottom of the hill and Nightmare stood, thinking over all that had just happened. He had been foolish to allow the human to regain control like that. Siegfried could just as easily lead him to a trap and injury or death as he could a host of human souls.

For the first time since he had fallen asleep, the sword spoke to him. _You fool! I told you not to let the human take control, and then you let this weakling maggot best you! I've begun to reconsider your worth as a puppet!_

For a split second, he was ashamed, but irritation replaced it so quickly it was as though the emotion had never surfaced. He had been obedient of the sword's orders, he had taken human souls as he was instructed. Soul Edge was the one that had sapped all the energy from his body just as soon as it was acquired, leaving him exhausted. It sensed his anger and laughed.

_Oh, you fool, you pathetic little fool. Do you honestly believe you could ever stand against me? I created you, child, you'd best remember that, ere you question my will ever again._

The irritation faded, replaced by shame again. But mostly for his humiliating near-defeat at the hands of a _human_. A spark of doubt still existed for the authority of Soul Edge.

Nevertheless, it sensed his relent and calmed considerably. _Remember your place, my creation... You stand above these humans, but you will always answer to me. I am superior, I am the endless night, I am darkness incarnate. You are merely the hand that carries out my will._

_Remember that._

* * *

He moved into the city, Astaroth trailing behind him. He hadn't gone back for the armor that Siegfried had torn off, and was slightly disappointed he would not be making his appearance as the monster these humans had come to know him as. He had taken a threadbare, blood splattered cloak from one of the men he had killed, and the hood would do a good enough job of hiding his face until he could get his hands on another helmet. Pulled around his spiny shoulder, it would hide his arm, too, for as long as he needed to hide among the humans.

Astaroth waited on the outskirts. He could not blend in so easily and would wait until the slaughter began to join in.

The familiar sights, sounds, and faces made Siegfried almost seem to mentally writhe in abhorence for what he knew would soon transpire, though Nightmare no longer found his protests quite so irritating.

Rather, they amused him. He decided he would toy with the human's mind, do everything he could to make him suffer even more.

Soul Edge wordlessly fed Nightmare mental praise, pleased with the decision.

The strongest of the human villagers were the easiest to track - a war veteran, a young carpenter, a hunter. Nightmare was disappointed - all paled in comparison to the battle-hardened warriors he was used to killing, but he needed nourishment, and he needed it _now_, so these weaker ones would have to do.

The war veteran was alone, behind the carpenter's dwelling. He seemed to be stacking neatly-cut pieces of wood, but stopped and turned around when he heard Nightmare approach. He appeared confused at first, trying to place if he had seen the newcomer before - but then his eyes darted to the sword, and he knew at once that this was the Azure Knight.

"Demon! You'll not defile this place! Blaen, come quick-"

The man didn't have the chance to finish his call for help before his head hit the ground, soaking it with blood.

The carpenter had heard him, though, and came charging out to his defense, armed with a saw. Upon seeing he was too late, he looked sickened, but his face contorted with rage and he charged forward, right into the point of the blade.

_Rushing straight to death. What imbeciles these humans are._

Panic seized the rest as they heard the commotion, watched the demon puppet, now accompanied by his servant, sweeping through the village like a maelstrom, slaughtering all within reach. Siegfried's grief was so strong he couldn't even muster a word in protest anymore. Nightmare sneered.

But when he turned to face another, recognition flared up again, and something else. Something that gave Siegfried's frail will such power it held Nightmare in place like a vise, unable to make any movements.

_Rizel!_

Siegfried's memories of the girl that stood before him, with a knife clutched in her hand, were strongly associated with those of two others Nightmare had felled - Josef and Rawlin, he knew them as. With her raven-black hair and grey-blue eyes, she must have been related to them somehow. But the feelings he associated with her were different - feelings Nightmare didn't recognize - and somehow held such power Nightmare couldn't just push them aside, ignoring them, or even acknowledge and mock them. They had given Siegfried power over him.

_You won't touch her, monster._

He would have begged to differ. He would have scoffed at the fool's pathetic indignance and just killed the girl and continued on, were he capable.

But he could not move.

The girl seemed to be frozen in place as well, contemplating on whether to attack or run, and hesitantly decided on the latter. The relief at seeing her flee until she was out of sight weakened Siegfried's mind again, and Nightmare charged off in the direction she had run, bent on destroying what had given his human host even that brief moment of power. But she was nowhere to be found, and he quickly grew frustrated and gave up.

It wasn't worth the effort to kill the rest of them, the sword told him, and after getting Astaroth, he started back towards Ostreinsburg.

What was that emotion, that gave the human such power? The thoughts and memories associated with it seemed so powerless, pathetic, _meaningless_... And yet they had given the host enough strength to physically prevent Nightmare from even moving.

Whatever it was, that was the one emotion humans possessed, he decided, that he envied.


	8. Act VIII : Riven

**ACT VIII : RIVEN**

Upon his return to Ostreinsburg, Soul Edge informed Nightmare of an army on its way to drive him out.

He'd need new armor, then.

The sets contained within Ostreinsburg's armory were exquisite - it was no wonder they were being kept here, rather than being worn by the soldiers. But Nightmare had no appreciation for the complexity of the designs, the beauty of the craftsmanship. He required it to be functional. That was all.

He did hesitate, however, passing a suit that was a similar color to his old one, though a deeper, richer shade of blue. He didn't want to abdicate his nickname just yet. He hauled the suit off its mounts to inspect it.

The overall design was similar to his last suit, and it seemed sturdy. It was a bit heavier, but would offer more protection. The helmet, however, was nothing like the one he had previously worn. Wings rimmed with gold were affixed to either side, in a way that almost made them resemble the ears of a rabbit. The plate over the forehead was patterned with a gold filigree. Clearly, this wasn't one meant to be used... But soon, all the intricately wrought embellishments would become tarnished with blood.

This was the one he would use.

The "army", when it came, was little more than a tiny, underfed band of vigilantes. A few of them were strong, but they presented no challenge. It was almost boring. Still, the nourishment from their souls was satisfying, and Nightmare was somewhat disappointed when they had all been killed off.

He wandered the battlefeild, finishing off the nearly-dead, devouring their essences as though snuffing so many barely-burning candles.

_You have done well, my child... My power grows ever stronger, fed by the souls you harvest. A proper reward is in order... Soon, when I possess the strength to do so... I will free you of this miserable human's body. I shall grant you your own..._

Nightmare stopped in his tracks. The possibility of being freed the worm's incessant rabble, having a body and mind all his own, was enthralling. He deisred that even more than he did the souls of the humans. So much so that, for the first time, he ventured forth a direct question:

_When?_

The sword gave a slight laugh. _Patience, child... It will come in due time._

He was frustrated with his answer, but it seemed he would have to wait.

_The perfect opportunity for me to put an end to your slaughter, you monster._

Nightmare didn't know how many more of the human's interjections he could stand.

* * *

In the days to come, more armies stepped forward to put an end to the Azure Knight's twisted reign over the fallen kingdom of Ostreinsburg.

All failed.

With the slaughter of the armies came power, and with the power, he knew he grew closer to freedom. He was joined by more followers - temporary tools, the sword told him, whispers of betrayal echoed through every one of their twisted minds. All were seeking the sword itself, their "master" was only another obstacle in the way... The once-human, turned to a grotesque reptilian beast, seeking the power to fell the very gods he believed had cursed him to this fate... The alchemist, seeking the power to animate her creations... None truly desired to serve him, it was only a way to bring them closer to Soul Edge.

And, in time, they too would fall.

But for now, the power they siphoned from human souls, combined with his own, would bring him closer to having a body of his own, and much more quickly than he could hope to acheive the goal on his own.

The near-perpetual rain that fell on the kingdom had turned to sleet, signaling winter's approach. Humans, although foolish, really were almost admirable in their determination to kill him. Exhausted soldiers marched up the mountainside, the precipitation forming sheets of ice over their armor and chilling them to the bone. The weaker ones collapsed and froze to death. All that, only to be obliterated once they faced the Azure Knight. _Fools_, all of them.

When the last of them had given it up as hopeless and retreated, Nightmare returned to the castle, brimming with vitality from the collective life forces of those he had slain.

_It is time! Let the very heavens themselves quake with fear, for I shall soon take my rightful place as ruler of every stretch of the omniverse! But first, I will sacrifice a portion of my own power, so that you, my child, can be granted what you deserve... A body of your own, and nothing standing in your way of destroying all who oppose us!_

_Death! Death to them all!_

Nightmare's pace quickened. Yes, yes, he would finally be granted his own body...

_You must find somewhere isolated, because the shock will weaken you, if only for a moment. You do not want to be caught off guard..._

He would do just that.

His excitement and anticipation had distracted him, however, so that he took no notice of the presence of intruders in the castle until he was face to face with them. A young man with a staff and a girl with an odd iridescent blue shortsword.

Enraged, he charged forward. _One interruption after another!_

_No. Stop._ Nightmare faltered, baffled. Did Soul Edge sound uneasy?

_My sister essence is housed within that blade... She is equal in power to me... fight this battle carefully. They could easily overcome you if they have any skill._

The girl had taken advantage of his momentary distraction and ducked to the side. She was quick on her feet, he observed, but she was probably physically weak. If he could hit her even once, the fight would be over. As for the man with the staff, he was sitting out for the time being, but he watched carefully, tensed and prepared to strike.

Nightmare wasted as little energy as possible with swings that were little more than feints in the first place. He quickly observed that the girl was inexperienced, combat-wise, and that much showed in the way she barely managed to avoid his strikes, even though she was fast.

When she rushed again, Nightmare simply waited until she almost managed to execute an attack before he swung the sword down diagonally, leaving a long, deep gash from the girl's collarbone down to her hip. She sank to her knees, stunned, just as her companion rushed in with a cry of outrage to avenge her.

A well-executed upward slash snapped the man's weapon right in half, and brought down again the sword embedded itself where his shoulder met his neck with a meaty _thunk._

_Far too simple._

What was that sword the girl had been wielding, though, that was equal in power to Soul Edge? It was still there on the stone floor, the blood of its own wielder splattered across its sapphire-colored surface. He moved closer to better look at it - and instinctively took a step back. Something about the energy the blade emitted was repellent; it felt almost as if the air around it was _burning_.

It was strange, but he would have time to worry about it later. For now, he had business to attend to...

Nightmare trudged off to the throne room, the most unused part of the castle. He wanted his own body so bad that even as fast as he could get there didn't seem fast enough. When he finally stopped, shutting the huge wooden doors behind him, Soul Edge spoke.

_You have done well. And now you will be properly rewarded..._

_The time has come, my puppet... Time for you to inhabit a body of your own!  
_

* * *

The feeling of the demon's mind ripped from his own left Siegfried disoriented for a moment - and then, enormously relieved. The twisted flesh of his right arm faded back to normal, the blood-color vanished from his golden hair, and the firelight in his eyes cooled to emerald again.

"I'm free..." He was free. He was finally free, liberated the demon's control.

"That makes two of us, human."

The relief that flowed through his freed mind froze, and dread replaced it.

_Only freed the demon's control, not rid of his existence._

He turned slowly, taking in the sight. Soul Edge had done a marvelous job of making him look human, exactly as he had, save for the arm; in fact, it was almost unsettling. He didn't look like the monster Siegfried always imagined. But that was only a facade, he knew.

He then realized, with a start, that Nightmare still held Soul Edge and he was unarmed. _Oh, no._

As fast as his legs could carry him, he tore away from the throne room. Down the stone steps, into the main hall, he had to get away... _No_. He stopped, shaking. No, he couldn't run away. He had to end this. He remembered the blade Soul Edge had claimed was its equal but opposite... If he used it...

He found it, his stomach turning slightly as his fingers met with the blood. It was still somewhat warm. He shook it off of the blade as best he could and readied himself to face Nightmare as he entered the room, shoulders heaving. He was still weakened by the transition to a body of his own.

_You must dispose of this monster. _Siegfried jumped as the voice of the sword in his hand spoke to him through his mind.

_Who... who are you?_

_Humans such as yourself know me as Soul Calibur. I am the equal opposite to the demon blade. Go... We will speak more later. Purge the earth of this monstrosity..._

Siegfried nodded, readying himself for Nightmare's first strike, which was weaker than it could have been but still forced Siegfried to his knees as he parried. He noticed as he retaliated that the sword in his hand was starting to change shape to the zweihander he was used to.

_I will assist you as much as I can. But this is a battle you must fight and win on your own._

Nightmare blocked the strike, and Siegfried found himself looking right into the demon's blazing fire-colored eyes. Nightmare pushed back, breaking the hold the two blades had established on eachother and backed away again. The spirit sword's energy drained his own.

_He is weak... You can finish him._

Before he could react, Siegfried lashed out and caught his in the abdomen, in the area left unprotected by his armor. But before Siegfried moved in to finish him off, something felt as though it had clamped around his chest, suffocating him.

_Stop! Soul Edge... Soul Edge is protecting him... You will have to finish this later._ The sword sounded disappointed. _I promise you, there will come a day when I will have the power to overcome my brother, and we will put an end to this, you and I._

Siegfried was hesitant to leave, but he did not want to chance death. Taking the strange blade with him, he retreated from the castle and headed to leave the cursed kingdom, the sleet quickly soaking through his thin tunic as he ran for the forests, trying not to see the piles of corpses all around him, and trying not to think of many more who would be just as dead for as long as Nightmare was allowed to roam free.

And in the castle, Nightmare watched, barely conscious, as his lifeblood poured from the deep lesion in his torso onto the stone floors, wondering, as his vision started to blur, if this was his end. It couldn't be, he had only just gotten a body all his own... This couldn't be how it ended, felled by that miserable whelp of a human.

But all that soon ceased to matter, as his thoughts all ran together until exhaustion was the only thing he was aware of, dragging him down into the blackness of unconsciousness.

And, for the time being, he knew no more.


	9. Act IX : Revelation

**ACT IX : REVELATION**

Waking from that sleep felt closer to being born than anything. His awakening was slow, everything came back at an agonizing pace. Everything that had happened in the past few weeks replayed itself, leading up to his separation from the human host and then - he gave an involuntary groan of frustration - his defeat at Siegfried's hands.

After he had discerned where he was and all that had happened, he had the time to take in everything else. It was unusually warm if he was where he thought he was - he opened one eye, and, sure enough, still right where he had fallen in Ostriensburg's main hall. A blazing fire roared in the huge fireplace at the head of the hall. How had that gotten there...?

Slowly, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, and the gash in his torso protested. He winced. His blood on the stone floor around him was dry and flaking. He had been unconscious for a while.

But not dead. He noticed the rather amateur bandaging job around his abdomen. Left alone, that wound would have bled him to death. Someone had kept him alive.

But who? And why?

_So, you are awake..._ The sword hissed.

It began to pick up Nightmare's train of thought. Who had done this? One of his servants? No, they would have used the opportunity of his vulnerability to take Soul Edge. So then, had Soul Edge manipulated them into it?

_Rest assured, my child,_ the sword answered him, _I did not have to manipulate a single inkling of thought in the little witch's head._

It hadn't been one of his servants. Whoever Soul Edge was speaking of was an outsider.

It then continued to answer the rest of his questioning thoughts - _You were defeated because my sister entity fed that human strength. Though I defended you from a direct death at his hands, with the injury you were dealt, your death still remained a possibility... And as I had little power to contribute to healing you, when the little witch came here I had little choice other than to allow her to assist._ Its tone was bitter - evidently it was not happy about this fact.

That still left his original questions unanswered, though - Who was this "witch" Soul Edge spoke of, and why... Why had she helped him?

The unsettling feeling created by the lack of information, though, was quickly overshadowed when he remembered - He was free.

No longer would he be bothered by the human's constant babble. This body was his own now. No more would the human annoyingly and futilely struggle to keep him from slaughtering the humans from which he drew life force... Now, he was free.

_Now, nothing stands in our way. I shall take my rightful place as ruler of this realm and those beyond... With you, my child, as my hand of Death, there is nothing we cannot accomplish._

Nightmare slowly got to his feet. The wound still pained him, but it would be tolerable as long as he avoided direct combat. And with a steady allowance of power from Soul Edge, it would heal within a few days.

In any case, he could stay here no longer. He would need to travel again, to seek out stronger and richer souls that would better contribute to Soul Edge's power. Remaining here was no longer productive.

First, though, he would have to seek out his former servants and consume their power. Left alone, they had the potential to become enemies.

But his search through the castle turned out to be utterly fruitless. It was empty, abandoned. His servants had already left.

_I drove them off when they tried to approach you,_ Soul Edge explained. _They realized quite quickly that any attempts to take up my hilt would be unsuccessful. I doubt they will return here, but later, they may seek you out._

_Let them come..._ he thought. _I will defeat them like I do any other obstacle in my path._

As he headed towards the great wooden doors at the end of the main hall, however, he became aware of movement above him, in the rafters of the castle's ceiling. Looking up, he could see nothing through the shadows but a faint metallic glimmer, and, as Soul Edge noticed the presence, it seethed.

_That is her, the little witch... True, she saved you from Death's grip, but she now seeks to manipulate you. You'd best dispose of her here and now._

Just another obstacle in his way. Yes, he would get rid of her.

But then something made him hesitate. Manipulate him? Wasn't that... Exactly what Soul Edge was doing?

_Fool child... Your frail mind could never hope to understand my reasoning... I do not manipulate you, the very purpose for which you were born is to serve me._

_And you dare to question my will?_

Nightmare was left even more hesitant to follow the sword's orders after that. That wasn't all he was... He had to have more purpose than simply being an executioner, always bending to the will of the being within the sword.

_But you do not... Accept it, for it is the only purpose you will ever know._

No. He wouldn't just accept that. If he had no other purpose... He would create one for himself, and he would start with an act of defiance towards the being that had been his only guidance for the past year of his life.

"Are you responsible for this?" he called up to the figure in the rafters, gesturing to the bandages.

A pause. The figure shifted. Then, "Yes."

Nightmare watched warily. "Why?"

"You seemed to be in need of assistance. Therefore, I provided it."

To Nightmare, the concept of assisting others without gain was foreign. He saw it as yet another weakness that made humans that much easier to kill.

And yet, if this stranger had not helped him, he would be dead. And it was not under the same circumstances that Astaroth had saved him - that had been Astaroth's duty. He was still not feeling overly grateful, the concepts of gratitude and appreciation had never had any real importance to him. So then what, in return, would he owe to this woman?

_Kill her! Kill her now, and you will owe nothing!_

Nightmare barely managed to suppress the urge the blade imposed on him. No. If this was an act of defiance, he was going to see it through to the end. He would prove to Soul Edge that he would not bend to its will so easily. He would allow himself to be manipulated no longer.

"...And why were you here? Quite obviously, it was not to kill me, as all others that come to this place seek to do."

"You are indeed observant." Again, the figure shifted, this time dropping down from the rafter - though it was a long drop, she landed lightly as though it was barely any distance at all. She was attired in a suit of platemail, of an almost iridescent sea-green coloring with gold embellishments - and this made the grace with which she managed to land even more surprising. Even with the bulk of the armor, it was apparent she had a slight build. Her helm was fashioned in the likeness of the top half of a dragon's head. From beneath it, waves of dark chestnut hair fell to the middle of her back. And when she raised her head, the shadow the helm cast over her eyes receded - they were jade green, and had a quality to them that was almost disturbing, though Nightmare couldn't directly place it.

Everything about the girl looked young but those eyes. They held wisdom, understanding, experience, and, though Nightmare failed to notice it, pain.

And almost immediately Nightmare understood why Soul Edge's compulsion to kill her had been so strong. Her soul held the most vast amount of power he had ever sensed, second only to the power contained within the demon blade. Clearly, she was not human. He found the urge to kill difficult to resist, as he had never had any reason to exercise self-control before.

But if he gave in now, his defiance would be for naught, and he would once again fall under the manipulation of his creator.

He would once again become a puppet.

And he would allow himself to be a puppet no longer.

She turned to face him, continuing on with answering his question. "The rumors of your power reach far and wide. And as I am aware of a large part of what goes on in this world, they have not failed to reach me... Currently, my kingdom is at war. And your assistance would ensure our victory."

Nightmare had the feeling that this was not her actual reason, or at least not entirely her reason, for seeking him out. But, as that was the reason she had given, he would fight as a member of her army, and when the war was won, he would move on.

He would further defy the will of his creator... He would acheive his freedom...

_You will do no such thing, child..._

_Oh... You disappoint me._

_You will realize, in time. You will realize that your rightful place is at my side, as my hand of Death, ridding the world of those who oppose me, readying it for my rule!_

_And if you do not... You, too, will fall to me, like any other enemy._


	10. Act X : Insurrection

**ACT X : INSURRECTION**

And so, after agreeing to assist the strange girl who had helped him, Nightmare left Ostreinsburg, following her to the kingdom over which she ruled - Sylva, she had told him it was called. Soul Edge did not reject this decision as strongly - it thought that working as a mercenary would be an excellent opportunity to collect souls, and was convinced that when the time came Nightmare would see the error of his ways and kill the girl as he had been originally ordered.

The ever-worsening weather did little to hinder their journey. Thankfully, the girl seemed as unaffected by it as he was - if anything, he was the one causing any hindrances to their progress. Somewhere during the second day of walking, the wound in his stomach reopened, and he scarcely noticed it.

It was when the girl turned around, perhaps to make sure he still followed, that he finally realized the extent of it. She raised an eyebrow upon seeing the blood but seemed otherwise unsurprised.

"You are bleeding."

With an irritated sigh, he realized she was right. But still, he continued on past her.

"A wound such as this does not affect me as it would a human," he stated.

"No, but it is best you staunch the bleeding before it worsens." There was a certain condescending quality to her tone, as though she was issuing a reprimandation to a child, that irritated him.

Nevertheless, she was probably correct. "Fine."

From the small leather bag she had with her, she produced another handful of linen bandages, handing it to him. She obviously had recognized he would rather tend to it himself.

He sat down against a tree, taking off the old bandages. Why had she had these with her? Carrying this many bandages was not typical of someone who expected to be going on a normal expedition - unless, of course, that was not what she had been expecting at all.

Had she known he would be injured when she found him?

And why had she gone to such trouble to keep him alive? It wasn't worth this much effort just for a recruit who would increase the chances for a probably already likely victory. If it was to her, then this girl was a fool.

No. There was some other reason, one that she had not and probably would not, at least not yet, reveal to him.

After he had finished the job of re-dressing his wound, he moved to get up. "No, not just yet," the girl said, motioning for him to sit back down. "It will be best if you allow yourself at least a few moments of rest."

Being treated like a child so much was incredibly frustrating - but she was not ordering him around, like Soul Edge did; rather, everything she had said so far had been a suggestion, which had made him more compelled to listen. So he sat and waited, and she sat down across from him.

After a few minutes of silence, she spoke up. "So, the stories all call you the Azure Knight. I can see why now. But, I have thought - there must be some other name you are called by."

First treating him like nothing more than a child in need of supervision, and then expecting him to make idle conversation as a human would? Now he was fed up.

No, he reminded himself, pushing the surge of anger away. Soul Edge would amplify and use that emotion as a means of controlling him, and he had vowed not to allow himself to be controlled again. So, for the time being, he decided he would play along.

"Nightmare," he answered after a hesitation. "My name is Nightmare."

The girl smiled slightly, seeming almost amused. "A fitting name for he who is infamous for being the essence of fear itself."

He studied her expression carefully, trying to decide if she was mocking him or not. For now he would give her the benefit of the doubt. "And you? You must have a name as well, and unless you want me to call you what Soul Edge does - 'the witch' - you'd best tell me."

The amusement in her expression was even more apparent now. "My name is Megumi. The witch, hmm? I haven't heard that nickname in quite a while. People used to call me that years ago - The Wind Witch."

Nickname? So she had been called that before. Which meant that Soul Edge knew her from before she had helped him.

Whatever was happening here, it went much deeper than he could hope to know right now. Both Megumi and Soul Edge were withholding information from him, and, admittedly, it was making him more than a little angry.

But he remembered what he had decided to do, to simply serve Megumi until the war was won, and concluded that whatever these things were that he was not being told were not important to him.

He stood. "I have waited long enough. Let us continue."

* * *

Another four days of walking eventually brought them to the kingdom of Sylva - a city and castle of average size but built atop towering mountains and plateaus that overlooked what seemed to be all the world.

"You will be allowed out onto the field for actual combat tomorrow," Megumi stated as they entered the city. "We have not stopped to rest much on our travels, and a brief break will do you good."

Nightmare looked around. The grimy cloak he was wearing concealed his arm from view, but the townspeople still watched warily, whispering to eachother - assured only, it seemed, by the presence of their queen. It continued until they reached the castle, where the guards eyed Nightmare apprehensively but responded to Megumi with a quick bow and a curt nod.

It was so odd, observing the society of humans actually operating rather than thrown into chaos by his slaughters.

She led him down a hallway and up a flight of stairs to a room that was bare and empty except for a bed. "You can stay here for as long as you serve under my forces," Megumi stated. "Tomorrow at sunrise you will be expected in the main hall with the infantry unit before we lead another assault on the opposition."

"Understood." His tone was flat as he answered.

She turned to leave, but paused, looking back at him. "And how is your wound healing? It has not been causing you too much pain, has it?"

That caught him off guard. Even more so than providing assistance to others without any sort of personal gain, concern for others' welfare was to him a useless concept. Another weakness of the human mind.

But he found her questions neither irritating nor amusingly pathetic, as he normally would have.

Rather, he was baffled.

"...My sense of pain is... dulled," he stated slowly in response. "Therefore I can deal with a significantly greater amount of it than any human can."

"I see." She turned again, this time starting down the stairs. "Well, do keep an eye on it. Though you cannot feel the pain, it may still reopen as it did before."

And then, she was gone, leaving Nightmare more confused and with more questions than he thought he had ever had at one point in the entirety of his existence.

* * *

Being on time to the assembly of the army was easy, as Nightmare did not actually sleep. He stood silently in the ranks of foot soldiers as they lined up, awaiting orders. He was the recipient of many stares and wary glances, but none of the men were panicking or trying to attack him, so it was obvious they had been warned of his coming.

The men all quieted and straightened after Megumi entered the room, still attired in the platemail she had been wearing but this time carrying a lance. It was a magnificent weapon - with an ebony handle laced with gold patterns and a silver center blade that gleamed in the torchlight. The ornamented blades on either side almost resembled wings.

"Today we move forward with another assault. We are far outnumbered, so we must strategize and plan for this attack carefully. I know that if we band together and do not lose hope, we will succeed." She glanced at Nightmare. "With the additions to our power, we will be able to do more damage with each attack as well. So, with that said, we march to war. Fight well, and bring glory to this kingdom! We fight for what could have been and never was... We fight for what is lost, and what will be. We fight for the good of our kingdom, our people, for balance and equilibrium, and for all of humanity!"

_Fight all you wish, pathetic little queenling..._

_Soon I shall be reborn, and all shall bow to my might!_

_So fight all you wish! There is no stopping me!_

_Death! Death to them all!_


	11. Act XI : Intrinsic

**ACT XI : INTRINSIC**

He felt more at home, more in place, and more right altogether once he was on the field killing again.

Though this time, it was different. For one, he was not used to fighting as part of a group, and for another... He certainly wasn't used to fighting under the orders of another.

That, and Soul Edge had cut him off. It was unresponsive, and he did not receive the mental praise he was used to in return for the power he acquired for the sword. He was almost hurt by being ignored to this degree, but remembered his vow of defiance and concluded that the more separation between their minds, the better. Soul Edge _wanted_ him to cry out for attention, for praise, for acknowledgement.

He wouldn't give it the satisfaction.

He went on taking out the humans of the opposition without stop for hours, noting that the soldiers around him didn't seem to be struggling much with their enemies, though they were vastly outnumbered.

Which proved to deepen his suspicion that Megumi had brought him here for more reason than assistance in this war.

And Soul Edge knew what her ultimate reason was. That much he could tell. But it refused to reveal that reason to him.

So for now, he would fight and collect the essences of those he killed. Exhaustion and a certain feeling of emptiness were starting to catch up to him, so he would need every bit of power he could get.

The fighting dragged on until past sunset, when the opposing side decided to fall back and regroup. Nightmare desperately wanted to give chase, but controlled the urge and followed the rest of the army back to the city.

Once back to the castle, he realized that, though he had killed a substantial amount of humans, he was still weak and feeling hollow - perhaps even more so than before. He decided perhaps he would try to rest a while; after all, his injury was still not entirely healed, and perhaps that was contributing to his general exhaustion.

He waited with the rest of the soldiers in the mess hall - again, it was odd to watch humans when they were acting normally and not panicked or attempting to attack him. Men carried plates of food and mugs of ale, joking, laughing too loud, challenging eachother to sparring or arm-wrestling matches. Most didn't even seem to take note of his presence, and when they did, they watched him suspiciously, like a wild animal that might at any moment go into a frenzy and attack everything in sight.

Which was not entirely without justification.

"You were magnificent in combat today," he heard Megumi say as she walked up to stand next to him. "The rumors of your strength do not prove false."

He nodded in acknowledgement of the statement - what was it humans said to express gratitude? "Thank you"?

Damn it all, now he was _thinking_ like them.

"You seem a bit tired. Is your wound still troubling you?"

Back to that again. He had never imagined anyone would express such concern over his welfare. "No. It seems to be healing well enough. It just seems as though I am not receiving enough nourishment from the essences I consume." He stopped, feeling as though he had said too much.

She looked up at him. "Are you not retaining a great enough portion of the energy before it is absorbed by Soul Edge?"

Now, that made sense. Soul Edge was most likely keeping all the power to itself. Starving him, in a way. More tactics to make him give in.

But how had Megumi known enough about his connection with the sword to come to that conclusion?

"...I'm not sure," he answered after a hesitation. "But I am not receiving enough energy, of that much I am certain."

Then, yet another question that once more managed to baffle him: "Have you eaten?"

It normally would have made him laugh, but the way she seemed so genuinely concerned about him left him unsure what to think about the entire situation. "...No," he admitted, "but I do not acquire my energy from human sustenance. I... I live on souls, essences of those I kill."

"Perhaps you should try it. There's no harm in it and besides, your condition may worsen if you are not receiving some kind of nourishment."

He was reluctant to agree, but she was right - he had nothing to lose and he would eventually die if left to starve indefinitely.

He sighed, feeling pathetic for giving in. "Alright."

Seeming to brighten at his relent, she started towards the kitchens, with Nightmare following along behind her. There was something about her, the way she seemed to treat him as someone far more important than an ordinary recruit, that made her seem different, and gave him more of an inclination to listen to her.

A fact that he accepted even more now in his battle of wills with Soul Edge. If it disapproved of something, that only made him want to do it all the more.

Megumi asked a nervous looking bunch of cooks to fix her a plate of food, and they did so immediately, making it as finely prepared as was possible for them, handing it her when they were finished. She thanked them and handed it to Nightmare.

"We don't have to eat here, if you do not want to. There is an area closer to the main hall reserved mainly for smaller diplomatic meetings..."

He shifted. Admittedly, he did feel uncomfortably out of place in the company of all these humans. "...If that is what you would rather."

She nodded and led him to the room. It was decorated simply but had a sort of distinguished elegance to it, with the muted grey-blue walls and polished granite table in the center. She sat, motioning for him to do the same.

He set the plate down in front of him, but did not bother with it yet. There were other matters to discuss.

"I couldn't help but notice at this point that you seem to have brought me here for more purpose than to simply add strength to your forces."

She looked at him, smiling a bit. "That conclusion would be correct. You have already decided upon breaking your servitude to the demon blade, correct? Then I feel at this point I can explain the situation in full."

He waited for her to continue.

"I am a member of the Order of Azoth, one of the four Elementals. I reign over wind. We of the Order fight to preserve equilibrium between not only the elements, but the greater forces of light and darkness. Soul Edge - or the being whose essence is housed within it, rather - has always gone against the Order, threatening to destroy the balance, ever since the human Septimus Swain awakened it. And its counterpart, Soul Calibur - humans believe it to be a force of good rather than evil, but they are both equally threatening to the balance."

"Then as a creation of the being opposing you, I must be destroyed in order to preserve the balance right along with Soul Edge, correct?" There was no accusation in his tone, but Megumi frowned.

"No. Actually... We have been told by our lord and master, Azoth, that you are to be the one who is fated to defeat Lucifurius, the being within the sword that will be resurrected into a physical form once he gathers enough power."

Now that, he had not been expecting.

"We can discuss this more later." She motioned to the plate of food in front of him. "You should eat before it gets cold."

He realized what this would mean. He'd have to take off his helmet. He never had tried to be overly enigmatic, but he'd gone so long without exposing his face that it seemed almost wrong to now.

When she noticed he hadn't made any move to do so, she stood up. "...Aren't you going to take that helmet off?"

He didn't respond. He certainly didn't want to.

After another few moments of uncomfortable silence, "Can I?"

He nodded. "I suppose."

He didn't look up when she pulled the helmet off. He winced a bit - he felt anxious now, exposed, as she stood staring at him in silence.

He had essentially hacked away at his blood-red hair whenever pieces of it grew too long so that it now hung in jagged layers that reached down his shoulders. His expression was kept carefully phlegmatic, but his jaw was clenched, indicating unease. There was something vaguely animalistic - and yet somehow so young, childlike - in his firelight eyes that seemed out of place given how absolutely _human_ he appeared to be.

Megumi swallowed and set his helmet on the table. "...I... I should be leaving. Tomorrow, after we have managed to drive back our enemies once more, we will discuss this further."

He said nothing as she left the room, shutting the door behind her, though the empty feeling had worsened now, leaving him feeling pitted, and somehow he felt that no amount of either human sustenance or souls would be able to fill that void.


	12. Act XII : Discord

**ACT XII : DISCORD**

Eating had helped, somewhat. It was in no way equivalent to the power he obtained from human souls but it was satisfying enough, and would keep Nightmare going through the next day.

There was still an emptiness, though, that would not be satisfied. One that sent his mind reeling with questions and one that he searched his mind for a way to fill.

He was tired of questions.

He wanted to go back to the days when he had a clear path ahead and seldom a question to harrow him.

But did he want that kind of existence? An unthinking puppet to the will of his creator? Ever since the start of his continuous defiance, he had felt so much more alive, despite this emptiness that refused to leave him. He was a living, thinking being, not a puppet, and that somehow made him feel more real. With more definition to his existence.

Not a puppet, but a living being with a mind and will of his own.

The source of the hollowed feeling, though, was another matter entirely. It was different from the need for souls - that he could recognize. This want was foreign to him, and the jumble of thoughts that were associated with it were anything but clear. He had been fairly stoic and devoid of emotion for the larger portion of his life. And the emotions that came with this want were entirely alien to him. What did they mean?

They were weakening thoughts. They were worthless, they were unproductive.

And yet somehow they were nearly all that remained of Nightmare's consciousness.

Why? What value did they have? How would they ever help him in becoming stronger, more defiant to this blade that had been his sole companion all his life, until he could finally stand on his own?

At their center was always Megumi, no matter how many times he thought them through. His debt to her for keeping him alive, the way she seemed so much to care, how she watched after him. He was above such meaningless concepts, he told himself. And yet when he thought of these things, the want seemed to ache less.

He remembered attacking Siegfried's home village. The way the human's emotions had been so strong as to physically hold Nightmare in place when he saw the one he cared about more than anything. Was that what he had discovered? From what he could remember, the human's thoughts and feelings were similar to his now, only lacking the emptiness.

Then was this the purpose he had found, separate from Soul Edge entirely, to find a way to fill this void?

Was it possible, perhaps, that these emotions held far more power and meaning... than anything else he knew?

* * *

The next morning, Nightmare counted on the trip out to the battlefield and once again engaging in the human hunt as being an excellent opportunity to sort out his thoughts. He found it easier to think while the rest of him was distracted with the largely unthinking process of killing. It had become such second nature to him that it no longer required him to devote conscious thought to the act.

Today, though, his opportunities to think the situation through were about to be shattered.

He had just succeeded in taking down a group of soldiers and was readying to go after another one when the unmistakable sound of a blade slicing through the air towards his head caught his attention. He ducked to the side just in time to avoid being cut striaght down the middle by the blade of the scythe now embedded in the ground next to him.

His attacker was a woman, clearly not a member of either army, regarding him as though she were surprised he actually managed to avoid her attack. Her vermillion-orange hair was cut short, peices in the front falling over a headband with a metal guard over the forehead. She had orange eyes like Nightmare, but they were closer in color and expression to coals than a blazing flame.

"You demonstrate guts coming here, Azure Knight. I must say, I commend that, but it seems to be largely outweighed by your stupidity. Did you think I'd be allowing this? Well, you thought wrong." The woman's eyes glinted dangerously as she readied to attack again.

Rage welled up. If there was one thing he hated more than anything it was humans and their indignant self-righteous ramblings. What justification did she have for attacking him?

Before she could, though, a few of the soldiers stepped forward to intercept her. "Commander Uemytlach! He's here with the queen's permission. He's fighting for our side, and, thus far we've had no reason to believe he plans to turn on us..."

"Keywords being _thus far_..." She looked him up and down, eyes burning with contempt. "So, Megumi recruited you to fight for us? I've always known her to be too trusting, but this is on the rather _ridiculous_ side. No matter. This will be cleared up soon enough and you'll be properly decapitated. By me, of course. In the meantime, the rest of you, move out there! You think the enemy will be intimidated by an army that stands around and makes idle banter?_ Move!_"

The men had mixed responses - some immediately ran deeper into the feild, some stammered "Yes, ma'am," before following after, and some followed more slowly, muttering complaints under their breath.

With a final hateful glance, the woman turned to walk back to the castle, gripping the scythe in one hand the entire time. Nightmare found her extremely irritating, and would have liked nothing better than to silence that condescending rambling of hers, but for the time being he would let Megumi deal with her and turn his attention to the matters at hand.

This time the attack finished before sunset, and the enemy ranks retreated even farther. This war would not take much longer to win.

Nightmare found himself looking for Megumi - she was the only one here he could really speak with, and feeling as out of place as he did among the ranks of human soldiers was beginning to bother him. He passed the room they had been in the day before, stopping when he heard voices through the slight opening of the door.

"Your judgement is skewed. Are you listening to yourself? Do you realize how completely ridiculous all this is?" The woman from earlier. Nightmare's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"We haven't had reason to doubt Azoth's judgement before," Megumi answered her, her voice lacking the confidence and authority it usually held. "It's my duty as a member of the Order, for the good of all humans, to carry out Azoth's will."

"You were the one saying yourself how you were starting to doubt! Just look at this! Doesn't it confirm your suspicions? Why would any god in their right all-knowing mind tell you to ally yourself with a bloodthirsty _monster_ like him?"

There was a long pause. "...Yes, I have had my doubts that Azoth truly considers the welfare of our world a high-standing priority. But this is one thing, Ismaire, that I know is right. Not because it was an order given to me by my god, but because I know within myself, without any doubt, that it is right."

There was another stretch of silence, and it seemed for a moment that neither of them were going to speak again. Then, "Megumi... You haven't. Please tell me you're not so far gone that you've _actually_ fallen for him." The woman's voice was lower now, sounding drained.

"It isn't something I can exactly control, now is it, Ismaire?"

"Bullshit! Look at him, Megumi. The things he's done, and will do. I may have been able to accept having him as a member of the army, but this... I won't."

"He is changing even now, since severing his mind's connection with Lucifurius. Any way you wish to look at it, he is no longer what you and the rest of the world know him as. He... He's been a puppet all his life, and now he's tasted freedom, and freedom has changed him."

Nightmare could hear the woman take in a breath, as though readying herself to argue, but she sighed. "I can't get through to you when you're like this," she muttered. "Rest assured, I'll be keeping a close eye on this. _Very close_."

Nightmare moved around the corner as she exited the room, managing to remain undetected. He waited until she was out of sight before walking into the room. Megumi looked upset for the split second before she noticed him and quickly replaced the expression with a stoic facade.

"Have you been looking for me long?" she asked, her voice now far calmer than it had been moments before.

"No," Nightmare responded after a hesitation. She probably would not appreciate that he had be eavesdropping on her conversation. "I only just returned."

She nodded. "Ah. I suppose, then, you've already met Ismaire?"

"The woman who attacked me?"

Megumi frowned and shook her head. "...You'll have to forgive her. She's... rather opinionated. Most would say dogmatic."

"She hates me," Nightmare concluded simply.

"As well as _judgmental_... But I trust she will be doing a better job of leaving you alone in the future. In fact, I will see to it that she does."

Nightmare nodded. "Who exactly is she?"

"A mercenary. Like you, she has quite a reputation - most call her the Desert Rose. Though she has spent so much time here I have essentially adopted her in as a permanent member of my army. The men all address her 'commander', and they are more than used to taking orders from her."

He thought about what he had just overheard. Ismaire saying that Megumi had "fallen for him", and Megumi admitting she had... Was that true? Had she? But then, why would it matter to him? Such feelings were useless anyway.

And yet there was a part of him that he could not convince otherwise that wanted more desperately than he had ever wanted anything to know for a fact that it was true, that whatever these feelings he had were returned.

"Well, I hope you weren't expecting me to make any sort of attempt to get along, because that most assuredly will not be happening," he stated, an edge of annoyance in his voice.

Megumi sighed. "No. I know. Now, I am aware I had told you we would further discuss the situation of your being here today, which is why I am supposing you came to seek me out, but given the circumstances it would be better if today we tended to other matters. I apologize."

He accepted with a nod before turning to leave. Why had he been looking for her? There was a reason, but it most certainly was not the one she had guessed at.

He realized now that, without his knowing it, she had become the new purpose in his life.

Because even with a mind and will of his own, his existence was still vastly meaningless...

And now she had given it meaning.


	13. Act XIII : Dissension

**ACT XIII : DISSENSION**

The battles carried on for three days before the war was won.

After the capture and execution of the commander, the fighting had ended, celebrations ensued, and Nightmare was left feeling thoroughly languorous and tired of the revelry.

It was only when he was called to speak with Megumi that he felt any sort of enthusiasm. But that was quickly replaced by anger when he entered the room and saw who else was there - Ismaire.

Noticing the immediate tension between them, Megumi spoke up. "I would prefer if we avoided any confrontations."

"That happens to all be up to him," Ismaire grumbled, casting a glare in Nightmare's direction.

Had she not been friends with Megumi he would have killed her by this point.

Megumi let out a slight sigh. "Well, that being said, I have promised to explain the situation in full, and I will do just that." She paused before continuing. "I left off with the both of you on the subject of Azoth's declaration that Nightmare is the one fated to defeat Lucifurius."

"And take his place?" Ismaire scoffed. "Of course. That will make our situation _so_ much better."

"Ismaire," Megumi warned. "Azoth said nothing of a replacement for Lucifurius; I believe he is planning to allow the forces of light and darkness to exist again without interference, as is safest and most constructive to proper balance. But regardless, Nightmare is a creation of Lucifurius, and of a dark affinity as well, so he must be the one to do it. As for how this benefits you, Nightmare, you will be entirely rid of his control, for as long as he exists he will seek to manipulate you."

"...Or destroy me," Nightmare added after a hesitation.

Megumi frowned. "...That, too. Soul Edge is nearing having enough power for Lucifurius's resurrection, and only once he has manifested in a corporeal form can he be destroyed. His body will be vulnerable - he will seek to create a new, indestructible one, and that cannot be allowed to happen. He will also be able to summon forth an army of monsters to fight at his command."

"So we'll have to be prepared," Ismaire concluded.

Megumi nodded. "I've already sent for reinforcements from the armies of the other three Elementals. Although... it will be more a matter of holding them at bay until we can locate and defeat Lucifurius.

"Locate? So, he'll be hiding? Well, such cowardice really is to be expected from a being that operates through the use of a puppet and kills anyone avaliable for power, including children," Ismaire stated.

Truth be told, Nightmare avoided children as much as possible. They usually held an insignificant amount of power and were always a last resort. That, and there was a part of him, perhaps because in actual age he was still a child himself, that indentified with them somehow.

But even if he said that, Ismaire would not likely listen. He would save his breath.

"Nightmare will need to go to Caer Pelyn, the black temple built by Septimus Swain, to release Lucifurius. He will need accompaniment, in case Lucifurius makes an attempt to kill him."

"I could go," Ismaire said with a shrug. "But of course, if Lucifurius doesn't kill him, I will."

Nightmare scoffed. "Go ahead and try, miserable human."

Before anyone could blink, Ismaire had lunged at him, scythe drawn. "Invitation accepted."

Nightmare dropped to one knee, avoiding having an arm taken off. Fighting instinct took over and he drew his own sword, hefting it over his shoulder and swinging for Ismaire's legs. She easily leapt out of the way and slashed at his head, which he ducked to avoid and stood, swinging this time at Ismaire's torso. She leaned out of the way with ridiculous ease and jumped up, catching him in the chest with her foot and forcing him to the ground. Holding him down, she brought the scythe blade down at his neck, intent on taking off his head.

"Ismaire!" Megumi shouted, stepping forward.

Ismaire stopped an inch from where she would have cut into his neck. She stood in place, motionless, for a few moments before stepping away and heading for the door.

"The only reason you're still breathing is because that's what she wants," she snarled. "Remember that."

And the wooden door slammed, and silence descended over the room.

"I... I'm sorry," Megumi said after a moment, sounding upset. "I... shouldn't have allowed the two of you to be in the same vicinity. I suppose I overestimated Ismaire's self-control."

Nightmare stood, irritated, but not at Megumi for apologizing, at Ismaire for making her feel as though she had to. "...Do not apologize for the actions of another. You were not the one who chose to attack me."

"No, but I..." She stopped. "In any case, perhaps you should consider heading down to the main hall to get some food? It has been a while since that last meal of yours, if I'm not mistaken."

He nodded. It would be so odd having to remember to eat rather than just acquiring his energy from killing on the battlefeild.

"Think over what we've discussed," she said as he left. "...If... Whenever you need help in this, I will be there to offer it to you."

* * *

Nightmare stood at the edge of the doorway, watching the human joviality with detatched indifference, unwilling to even give a semblance of wanting to join in.

There was more he wanted, and at this point it was not to devour human essences or see blood pooling at his feet.

"A bit loud, isn't it?"

He turned at the sound of the voice behind him, brightening considerably when he realized it was Megumi.

"I suppose. Seems humans are always that way when there's something to celebrate about."

She smiled. "It doesn't seem to be so when you are part of it, though."

"No, I suppose not."

They stood in silence for a few moments before Nightmare finally spoke up again.

"I overheard your conversation with Ismaire," he stated. "A few days ago."

Megumi's smile faded. "...Oh? What... did you hear?"

"I heard her say that you had... fallen for me, and I didn't hear you say anything to deny that." He also had not heard her say anything to confirm that, but he would refrain from saying as much.

"...No. You didn't. Because I had no reason to."

He looked at her. "Did you mean it?"

"Why would I say it if I didn't?"

He raised an eyebrow. "My creator and I are not the only ones who enjoy toying with people, I know that much."

She looked away. "I did such things, once. I... I've done things worse than you have, but those days are behind me. So to answer your original question, yes, I meant what I said."

He didn't answer for a moment. "...I wanted to know... if my feelings were returned. They seemed meaningless enough without being denied."

Megumi looked almost hurt. "They aren't meaningless."

"No. Not now that I know."

They looked at eachother for a moment. Megumi gave a slight laugh.

"Ismaire isn't going to be happy about this..."

"I don't care. I'd fight and lose to her a thousand times if it meant I could stay here with you."

"It is good to hear you say that, but try to avoid any more confrontation at all with her if you can. I can't - I mean... I won't always be able to stop her if she tries to..."

"I know. I will try."

"Thank you. And what I said about being willing to help you, with anything... I meant that too. If you'd like me to, I will go with you to Caer Pelyn."

"Yes, I would, as a matter of fact."

She nodded. "But you need more power first. There are still... Stragglers out on the battlefeild. They will be killed anyway."

"They should be just enough." Good. The sooner he could get rid of this blasted sword, the better.

Megumi was turning to leave, but paused. "...Nightmare?"

"Yes?"

She turned to face him. "Would you... take off your helmet? ...I want to see your face again."

Reluctantly, he did. This time, it didn't feel quite as unnatural. Everything else had changed, hadn't it? He was freed the sword's control, he had a new established purpose... Why not a change in appearance?

She looked at him again. "...You know, it may help conceal you identity more if you go without it, which may lead to fewer problems for you... That, and you look better without it." She smiled up at him. "Tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow," he agreed.

Which would make tonight one of the longest nights of his life.


	14. Act XIV : Extrication

**ACT XIV : EXTRICATION**

_Yes, the time has come!_

_I shall be resurrected, and none will stand in my way..._

_You all shall bow to my might!_

_Even you, my child... You will realize... just how wrong you were to stand against me._

_Death! Death to them all!_

Nightmare sheathed the blade on his back and turned to Megumi. "It is ready."

She nodded. "It is still early. We can leave today. But first, come back with me to the castle... I have a gift for you."

He followed along behind her, not caring what this "gift" was. He was with her, and with her, he was whole, complete. No emptiness of any kind plagued him when he was with her... This feeling could not be brought on by anything else, not human souls, not all the power Lucifurius could offer him.

For the first time, he knew real happiness. And that was the only gift he would ever need.

Even taking into consideration what the gift was. Megumi had led him to the armory, where, in a segregated corner, mounted on the wall, was a new suit of azure armor, even more finely made than the last, and a large zweihander. Both seemed to have been tailor made for him.

"I had the blacksmith make it," Megumi said as he examined it. "Your armor now is too big for you, which drastically reduces its protection factor. And since you'll be ridding yourself of Soul Edge... You need a new sword."

The sword was roughly the same size as Soul Edge, adorned with spikes on the unsharpened end of the blade and a wicked hooklike cutout at the tip. The hilt was made of steel with a rough leather strip wound around it. Etched above the hilt was the blade's name : _ECLIPSE_.

The armor was somewhere close to the color of a late afternoon sky, deep blue with gold around the edges and making up the runic designs patterned down the center of the chestplate. The helmet closely resembled the first he wore - though it was infinitely more ornate.

Megumi took it from him when he took it from its mount. "Of course, this you only get if you promise not to wear it _all_ the time."

He smiled, for once a genuine smile and not a sneer twisted by madness. "I promise. Thank you."

She caught him off guard when she stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace, which, after a hesitation, he returned. "You are welcome. Now, make your necessary preparations, and meet me at the city gate when you are ready to leave."

* * *

Nightmare was outfitted in his new armor, minus the helmet, and carrying the Eclipse when he met Megumi at the front gates, growling in frustration when he realized Ismaire was with her.

"Does she _have_to come?" he asked Megumi with a frown.

"She insisted," Megumi stated hopelessly, shooting him an apologetic look.

"Oh, the playing human really is clever, Clunky. I _almost_ didn't recognize you. Unfortunately, just having the _countenance _of a human doesn't make you any less a monster." Ismaire smirked at him.

He glared at her, then glanced back at Megumi. "'Clunky'?"

Megumi appeared to be hiding amusement as she answered him. "It's her new nickname for you. Because of the armor."

"Well, if we're all finished with standing and waiting for the grass to grow, I propose we leave," Ismaire declared, heading off down the hill.

Keeping a slight distance, Nightmare and Megumi followed after her.

* * *

The weather was nothing short of awful as they began the trek to Caer Pelyn, which was close to Ostreinsburg. Some greater force was drawing Nightmare there, and he could tell just by feel that they were headed in the right direction.

Ismaire trudged on a few yards ahead of them, a muffler pulled up over her face and a general look of discontent settling as her permanent expression.

Deciding that she was enough out of earshot with the wind blowing, Nightmare looked over at Megumi and said, "I've noticed something."

She looked over with a faint smile. "You have? And what might it be?"

"You seem to know quite a bit about me. Enough to make me wonder."

"I know all these things about you because, indirectly, we the Elementals of the order have been watching you since you were first created. We were waiting for the day you began to separate from Lucifurius's control."

They had been watching all that time, and he had been entirely unaware of it. The fact was almost frustrating, but then, if they had not, he never would have met Megumi, and he would still be a mindless puppet to his creator. "Well, you know all there is to about me, and I know almost nothing about you... I _hardly_ see how that can be considered fair."

She laughed. "That is because, no offense meant, but there is far more to know about me."

"That doesn't matter. I still want to know."

"Alright. Well, you already know that I am a member of Azoth's Order - a high priestess, I suppose I would be considered as an Elemental. What that means is that I have been gifted with the ability to manipulate my element - wind. I can create anything from a gentle breeze to a raging typhoon. I can take the air straight from my enemy's lungs and suffocate them. I can move at speeds no human could ever hope to achieve. And as the wind travels to all places in this world, I hear its secrets whispered whenever my mind wanders. The things in this world... At times, I think it woul be easier just not to hear what it has to tell."

He said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

"And I am immortal. I was born one-hundred fifty-six years ago, though I will forever appear not a day older than seventeen. Immortality is... a curse, and a burden. I have watched all those close to me grow old and die while I remain forever trapped in youth and life, serving Azoth."

He knew there had been something about her - the deep wisdom in her eyes, the way she had a certain quality that seemed so experienced, so world-weary.

Now he finally understood why.

"Of course, Azoth recognizes that to spend eternity alone is unbearable, and he granted us the ability to share it with one other person. Some have gone many centuries before finding the one they share their eternal life with."

"And you?"

She smiled at him. "I believe I've found mine."

As much as he wanted it to be true, he still found it a little surprising. "You'd give something that significant, that unchangable... To me?"

"I can. And I will." She lowered her voice so that it was certain Ismaire could not hear her. "When all this is over, with the permission of the other Elementals, we will take part in the ritual, and I will share with you my immortality."

The idea of being with her forever - nothing to keep them apart - filled him with such unabashed happiness that, for a while, he forgot about the task at hand, and seldom noticed the call of the dark energy that guided him to the black temple, to its depths, where Lucifurius would be released and resurected into physical form, and Nightmare would be rid of his control entirely.

* * *

It took another four days to reach the temple, and by the time they did, the call was so strong that whenever Nightmare stopped moving, he felt anxious; he had to keep moving forward.

The temple had obviously been magnificent when first built, but now it was crumbling to nothingness. Nightmare walked, guided by the pull of the dark energy, to the center room of the temple, wherein a huge altar was built, etched with runes that were fading and disintegrating with the rest of the temple.

"Hope I get a chance to take the bastard's head off before anything," Ismaire muttered as Nightmare set the sword on the altar.

_Now, curse your fate, for I am reborn! None shall remain in my wake... This world and all others will fall before me!_

_Beg for mercy now, while you still possess the ability to do so!_

The very air seemed to stagnate in the room, thickening with a choking amount of dark power, as the sword was swallowed in a shadow that absorbed it and began to take corporeal shape.

The being that emerged resembled a man, with night-black hair that fell to his waist, parting in places on his head to reveal horns, two where each of his ears should have been, and two at the top of his forehead. One eye was the same odd sage-green with flecks of orange that the sword's eye had been, and the other was bright, peircing crimson. He was garbed in robes of black and deep red that at the bottom revealed three-clawed feet. He regarded Nightmare with a twisted, manic sneer.

"And now I am reborn, and you will rue the day you ever stood against me, child."


	15. Act XV : Regress

**ACT XV: REGRESS**

Nightmare was instantly forced to his knees by a crippling wave of pain that seem to light every nerve in his body on fire. He struggled to raise his head to look into the blazing eyes of the being that had created him.

"Why have you turned your back on me, my child? Ever since the beginning, it was you and I and the world ahead with all in it that would become ours... We would have been a maelstrom, unstoppable! None could have escaped our reign... And you chose instead to turn on me and become one of the enemy! _Why?_"

Megumi and Ismaire both stood, weapons drawn, waiting for a chance to strike. Lucifurius looked at the both of them and laughed.

"You truly believe you can stand against me? I will remind you, Wind Witch, you have already died once by my hand. Do not assume it will not happen again."

Ismaire took advantage of his distraction and lunged, lightning fast, succeeding in taking hold of one of his horns and whipping the scythe blade around to rest against his neck.

"Let's hear all that superior talk _now_," she hissed.

Again, he laughed. "Oh, you pretentious, foolish human. You have no idea the magnitude of what you will be made to face. If you had even an inkling of wisdom, you would know to fear me..." He looked down at Nightmare again. "My child... you disappoint me. Perhaps, amidst this, you will realize that your place is at my side, as my hand of Death, as it has always been... When next we meet, you will once more join me..." He paused, sneering. "Or you will _die_ like all others who seek to stand against me."

And with that, he vanished into the shadows.

The pain receded, and Nightmare slowly got to his feet. They all remained tensed for a few moments, relaxing only when they were sure Lucifurius would not be coming back.

Megumi reached out and touched Nightmare's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "It's only pain."

Ismaire scoffed. "Tch. Of course, he ran away like the coward he is. And as for you..." She glared at Nightmare. "That was the most _pathetic_ thing I have _ever_ seen. You're supposed to be the one to defeat him when he can immobilize you that easily?"

Nightmare ignored her. "You said he'd be preparing an army?"

Ismaire stiffened. "And right now we're number one on his hit list. When will our reinforcements get here?"

Megumi shook her head. "It may still be a few days by the time we return. That may still be too long."

"Well, then we'll have to just hold them off as best we can. And we're not getting there any faster by standing around here."

Ismaire slung the scythe over her shoulder and headed back up the stairs to the surface, and Nightmare slowly followed after. Megumi walked alongside, watching him carefully.

"Are you sure you're alright to walk?"

"I said already, it's only pain. And with Ismaire's little declaration, I don't have much choice."

Megumi frowned but said nothing else.

Before, fighting off the army of monsters and defeating Lucifurius had not been priorities Nightmare considered to take much precedence. Having freedom was his goal, and whether or not his creator still existed did not matter. He cared nothing about the fate of the masses of humans Lucifurius would be destroying. But now, with what he had said, it was evident that at the moment, Lucifurius's goal was to first get rid of what was keeping Nightmare from serving him - Megumi.

And Nightmare would not allow that to happen.

For that reason, he would fight.

* * *

Sure enough, upon their return at dusk, the city was already swarming with the monsters Lucifurius had summoned the fight for him - gnarled creatures with wings, half-rotted wolflike monsters, and others too twisted to be recognizable.

"Ugly bunch of bastards, aren't they?" Ismaire grumbled, drawing her scythe and heading straight for the horde of monsters.

"There's... so many of them," Megumi stated, sounding uneasy. "How will we..."

"We only need to hold them off until we can defeat Lucifurius, correct? It won't be that difficult," Nightmare assured her.

She nodded slowly. "Yes... You're right."

Nightmare drew his sword and immediately began slashing at everything in his path - and as the winged monsters were swarming around him, it was not difficult. Their blood was black and sticky and quickly covered his sword.

As he was about to cut down one, Ismaire beheaded it, acting as though she didn't even notice him. So that was what this was now, a competition?

She would regret this.

He made a point of making sure she could see every kill, every monster he brought down. He snatched some right out of her grasp just as she had done to him, and was starting to rather enjoy himself when she next lashed out at him, leaving a gash in the leathery, malformed flesh of his arm. He growled when the pain hit, turning to glare at her.

"I have better things to do than play 'who's the better killer' with you, kid," she spat. "Waste your energy on something else. Besides... It's not a game you want to play with me. I'll win every time." With a taunting smirk, she darted away.

Enraged, Nightmare whirled around and sliced in half a whole group of the gargoyle-like creatures. Irritating woman. She was lucky Megumi considered her a friend...

* * *

They fought until sunrise, assisted by the Sylvan soldiers, until the light forced the creatures to retreat. Obviously, where ever they had come from, there was no light, for upon seeing it they screeched and retreated into the cover of the forests, clawing at their eyes.

The army stood in silence, watching them flee.

"That certainly is convenient," Ismaire said with an eyebrow raise. "Some army he's got there, when they can't even stand the daylight. Even Clunky here trumps that."

Choosing this time to ignore her, Nightmare started back towards the city. Unlike most rulers, who preferred to hide behind their troops, she fought right alongside them. But he hadn't seen her since the start of the fight. Where had she gone?

He asked, or demanded of, rather, one of the soldiers where she was as he entered the castle.

"The queen is currently... rather upset. She's asked not to see anyone," the soldier answered, frowning.

Ismaire, who had been walking by as he said this, immediately rushed at him, shoving Nightmare out of the way. "What? What happened, Noman?"

Noman's frown deepened. "She's had a bit of a... _relapse_."

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. Relapse? What did that mean?

Ismaire scowled. "The stress of the entire situation hasn't likely been helping anything. She'll come around, if we leave her alone for a while."

Noman nodded, and Ismaire walked off, muttering something to herself.

Nightmare was concerned. What was wrong? He set off to look for Megumi.

He was ready to give up before he found her at the end of an empty hallway, huddled against a wall with her lance tightly gripped in one hand.

Nightmare stopped. "Megumi?"

She looked up at hearing him approach, staring for a minute before faster than was possible to detect she lunged, swinging at his head, stopping a hair's breadth from the side of his face. He scarcely had the time to process what had just happened before she scrambled back, dropping the lance.

"Nightmare, I..." She shook her head. "I wasn't trying... I-I didn't want..." She stepped back again, burying her face in her hands.

He stepped towards her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "...What's wrong?" He ignored the fact that she had just nearly killed him.

She latched onto him, digging her fingers into his shoulders. "I can't... It's all too much, I can't go on protecting humans when they always have and always will follow the same vicious cycle." She stifled a sob, pulling closer to him.

He pulled back a bit to look at her. "What happened?"

She shook her head again, blinking back tears. "I... Ten years ago, amidst a battle between this kingdom and another... All I knew about human nature, all the conflict, wars... Pointless, unjustifiable hatred that would never end. I saw no reason to continue fighting to defend them. I killed half of my own men." She looked down. "I would have killed them all. But Ismaire stopped me. And now, I almost killed you..." Her words choked off, and she looked away.

"But you didn't." He stopped, unsure of what else to say.

She looked back at him. "I... Sometimes I have the same thoughts, and... I lose focus of who the real enemy is. If that happens, I... I don't want you to be near me when it does. Next time, I... might not be able to stop myself."

"I trust you, though."

She feircely rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears. "I know. That... That's what the problem is."

"Problem or not, it's the truth. And you aren't going to convince me otherwise."

She managed a slight smile. "You shouldn't be so set on that." She sighed. "But I'm glad you are."

Nightmare thought he'd been happy being with her before. He thought he'd been completed, that there was nothing else he'd ever need.

But all that seemed minuscule in comparison to how he felt now, when she'd kissed him. He was no longer completed. Now, he was a different being entirely.

But of course, such happiness would not be allowed to last.

"Well, it looks like I gave you too much credit, you _scum_. I'd thought that even you might have a _little_ more humanity than _this_. I suppose I thought wrong."


	16. Act XVI : Vehement

**ACT XVI : VEHEMENT**

Megumi jumped back at hearing Ismaire's voice, wide-eyed, searching for something to say.

Nightmare was already readying for the fight that was to come. "Since when were you the authority on the actions of everyone you ever come into contact with?"

"Oh,_ shut up_. What makes you think you have any _right_? Taking advantage of her when she's like this is a new low, even for _you_. You honestly thought you were going to get away with it?"

Nightmare snarled. "You do not control me, human, nor do you control her! That is a fact I believe it is high time you accepted!"

Ismaire glared, a dangerous edge entering her eyes. "No, for once you're right on something - I don't control her, or you, but as her friend I can and will protect her from monsters like you. Forget what Azoth has said - I'll kill Lucifurius myself, just as soon as I'm finished killing you."

Nightmare barely managed to draw his sword and parry as Ismaire lunged. She was fast, but rage had blinded him to his disadvantage. He swung for her legs, missing completely and receiving a kick to the stomach that caused him to stagger back. He slashed again and she ducked to the side, swiping up at his head, grazing his jaw as he tried to dodge.

While he readied for another strike, she managed to catch him in the arm, deepening the gash she had left earlier. Another kick to the temple made him falter, staggering back, and she jumped up with her feet on his shoulders, leaping off and forcing him to the ground.

This time, the scythe blade did cut into his neck. He felt the blood start to run and realized that he had lost this fight when something stopped the path of the steel across his throat.

"Ismaire," Megumi said, her voice sounding surprisingly strong for how upset she had been moments before. "Stop."

Ismaire glanced at her, noting the grip she had on her arm, preventing her from moving further to kill Nightmare. "Don't try to defend him, Megumi. He's a monster, that's all he ever will be, and the fact that he'd try to take advantage of you is proof enough of that."

"He didn't!" Megumi insisted, her voice breaking again. "He didn't... _I_ kissed _him_."

Ismaire stared at her, astonished. "Megumi... You..." She shook her head. "Why? I've always known you to be a better judge of character..."

Megumi looked down. "I have no right to judge anyone's character after the things I've done."

"You're not the same as him."

"Are we really so different? Ismaire, he is entirely another person now, and I love him, and he loves me. There's nothing you can do to change that and, regardless of what you may think, he is not the monster the stories tell him to be." She looked down. "...You'll realize that. Perhaps not now. But you will."

Ismaire finally moved the scythe away and stepped back. "I don't see how I will. But if it's what you say, then I can't convince you otherwise. I'm sure someday, I may be able to come to terms with this. But I will _never _approve. Never. He is not what you deserve, Megumi. Someone like him is only ever going to drag you further down into the insanity you're trying to escape." She shot Nightmare a hateful glance. "If you ever do anything to hurt her, next time I _will_ take off your head, even if she tries to stop me."

Without another word, she walked off.

After a moment, Nightmare got back to his feet, clutching the side of his head where he'd been kicked. He would have been far more angry, but right now, he didn't have the energy for it.

Megumi reached for him, shaking slightly. "How bad is it?"

He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't worry. I'm alright."

She didn't seem to believe him. "Your neck is still bleeding..."

"It's not deep," he assured her.

"So you think," she said with a frown. "...I shouldn't have kissed you."

"Why not? Because of this? I happen to think it was worth it." He winced as he said it, though, which did not help in proving his point.

"Your self-preservation instincts are some of the worst I have ever encountered," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Maybe. But it doesn't matter."

She lightly touched the bruise on the side of his head. "Yes. It does. It matters to me. What if she had..."

"I wasn't going to let her. I still have to kill Lucifurius and inherit your immortality, remember?"

"Perhaps we should consider doing that sooner rather than later."

"I can make it until then."

Megumi sighed. Neither of them said anything for a while.

"...I don't want to fight in these wars anymore," she said finally, in a quiet voice. "I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of living while I have to watch everyone else die. I'm tired of all of it."

"When it's over, I'll make sure you don't have to fight again."

"No... That's not your burden to bear."

"It is if I'm going to spend the rest of eternity with you."

"Or at least the next few centuries." She pulled away. "I'm not sure I should leave you alone with Ismaire as angry as she is. I don't trust her not to attack you again."

"Admittedly, I don't either."

"You'll just have to stay with me, then," she said, taking his hand. "Rest would do us both good before we have to face Lucifurius's army again."

He followed her back to her quarters, glancing over his shoulder a few times to ensure Ismaire wasn't following them.

It didn't matter, though. He'd face her as many times as was necessary if it meant he could stay with Megumi. Because in the end, it didn't matter how badly Ismaire ever injured him, because the pain was insignificant. Megumi was now, and would always be, all he ever needed.

* * *

In the days to come, reinforcements arrived, the army increased in size, and the ever-persistent forces of Lucifurius attacked mercilessly from sunset to sunrise, never seeming to dwindle in number.

They would only need to hold them off until Lucifurius was defeated, but Nightmare wondered how much longer they would be able to keep this up. He would fight forever if he had to, but the rest of the troops did not seem to show the same dedication.

Ismaire hadn't allowed Megumi onto the front lines, fearing another lapse of sanity. Megumi remained towards the back, mostly involved in giving orders. At the end of each day she seemed increasingly more exhausted, and her facade of composure and confidence was slipping.

Whenever Nightmare asked if she was alright, she would smile weakly and tell him not to worry, though that didn't stop him.

He had to end this soon. There would be no moving forward until he did.

But he fought on, day after day, waiting with anticipation for Lucifurius to finally show himself, give him a chance to strike, to end this war and forever keep Lucifurius from destroying that which had finally given him a purpose, given him meaning beyond a mindless executioner.

Nearly three weeks passed.

And, that day as he stood on the battlefield watching the horizon, staring off into the darkness, waiting for the monsters to once again show themselves, he was met with only silence, until a voice he had thought himself long rid of spoke into his mind.

_I have had enough of these useless feints, child._

_The time has come for you to make your choice._

_Will you once more stand by my side, killing all those who oppose me? Or will you remain an enemy, will you choose death?_

_At the end of it all, it truly matters little..._

_For with you or not, I shall bring all the omniverse to its knees, all shall speak my name with terror and reverence!_

_I will become what I have always been meant to become - ruler of this world and all those beyond!_

_Death! Death to them all!_


	17. Act XVII : Resolve

**ACT XVII : RESOLVE**

Nightmare once more stood at the entrance to Caer Pelyn. He could hear the howls of the monsters within, guarding their master.

"Still has to hide behind his lackeys," Ismaire grumbled. "What a coward."

"We'll hold off the weaker monsters. Once you know where he is, you should go and fight Lucifurius. He is vulnerable in the state he's in now, but he will still prove difficult to kill," Megumi informed Nightmare as they started down the stairs.

"Don't worry. I _will_ be defeating him today, of that much I'm sure."

They continued on down the winding hallways, the hordes of monsters growing in size as they did. The deeper parts of the temple were less touched by age - and underneath thin layers of lichens could be seen the floor tiles' true color - a deep, pitch black, with glittering flecks of silver - like stars in a midnight sky.

"Just how far down does this temple go?" Ismaire muttered, beheading another of the winged creatures and wiping away the black blood as it spattered onto her face. "It's like a path straight down to Hell."

"Symbolically, I believe that is exactly what it is," Megumi said to her. "Septimus Swain spent a rather large portion of his life building it until he summoned Lucifurius - and then afterwards, he completed it. These tunnels span for miles."

"Which means this little demon king of ours could be hiding anywhere," Ismaire grumbled. "Wonderful."

But as they wandered on, it was not Lucifurius they encountered.

Nightmare stopped when he heard footsteps approaching at the other end of the hallway behind him, and Ismaire and Megumi stopped ahead, casting questioning glances back in his direction.

Listening, they could hear voices, and those voices were not the howling half-screams of the monsters in the temple - they were human voices.

And one, Nightmare recognized. He knew it well. It had spoken into his mind many times.

Siegfried.

He stopped when he saw Nightmare, still halfway hidden in shadow. There were more humans with him, and some Nightmare recognized - the girl from the village who escaped him, the warrior whose sons and comrades Nightmare had killed. Others he didn't - the small force of soldiers with him, or the girl next to him that seemed almost to be radiating light.

She was nearly a foot shorter than Siegfried, but hovered a few inches from the ground, as if gravity could not fully keep her down. Her silvery-blonde hair was as long as she was tall, and horns of what looked to be splintered shards of ice protruded from either side of her head. She wore a brief white dress, and embedded in the center of her chest was a glistening sapphire-blue gem.

"Who are you?" Ismaire asked, clearly on edge and ready to strike.

"I am Scyrus, equal opposite and sister to Lucifurius. It seems I was not the only one to regain my true form," she said, in a voice strangely devoid of emotion. "The puppet no longer carries the sword, and I sense my brother's presence elsewhere."

"Regardless," Siegfried said, stepping forward and drawing a wide, flat blade with a cross tip, "I vowed I would bring down this monster, and I intend to do so."

Nightmare scoffed. "You couldn't even resist my mentality when we shared a body. What makes you think you can defeat me now?"

"I have been granted divine guidance. Gifted with power so that I may purge the earth of demons such as yourself."

"Oh, listen to yourself. You're no less a puppet than I was," Nightmare muttered.

"Enough. Whether or not you still serve the demon, it doesn't change what you are."

Ismaire drew her scythe. "Looks like I've finally found something that irritates me more than you, Clunky."

All of the humans rushed forward - the more inexperienced soldiers were taken down immediately, and those who remained were then suffocated, dropping to their knees as Megumi sapped the air straight from their lungs. The older warrior - Johan, Siegfried had called him, moved to attack Nightmare, receiving a deep cut down the length of his arm from Ismaire's scythe, and before she could swing again her strike was parried by Siegfried.

"I said enough! This is a fight between he and I. No one else!" Siegfried made a swipe to the side, which Nightmare dodged, backing off as he took time to gage his opponent's strength. He had gotten stronger, that much was true, but Nightmare still outmatched him.

They followed the same pattern for a while - feint, parry, graze, dodge. Siegfried was determined - and it was obvious that Scyrus was exhibiting some sort of control over him. Somewhere during the space of the fight, the other two humans slipped away, deciding they would rather avoid this confrontation.

A well-placed swing nicked the edge of Siegfried's sword - sending a crack straight across the blade and breaking it clean in half. Dumbfounded, Siegfried didn't manage to avoid a swing that sliced through his shoulder and cried out in pain, falling to his knees.

With an outraged wail, Scyrus charged in - a scimitar of ice manifested itself in her hand, and she swung for Nightmare's head.

"You and your brethen will poison this world no longer, demon. Die!"

Nightmare barely ducked out of the way - she was fast. Any attempt to attack her, she avoided, either by dodging it or simply allowing the sword to pass right through her, inducing incorporeality so that she was not touched by it. She had managed to pin him down and was readying to put the ice blade in her hand through his forehead when something swung out and caught her in the chest - the tip of Ismaire's scythe - and it shattered the gem embedded there.

With a final cry of defiance, her essence faded, and the hallways darkened once more.

Siegfried struggled to get back to his feet. "No... I won't lose! I won't allow you to send this earth into the darkness, I won't watch anyone else I care about be killed by you!"

"Oh, you won't have to," Ismaire assured him as she stepped over. "You'll be joining them momentarily."

And at last he was silenced as the scythe blade swept through his neck, and he fell.

After a brief pause, Ismaire turned around to face Nightmare again. "If I'm not mistaken, Clunky, you're here for a more productive reason than dealing with these holier-than-thou pious idiots," she grumbled. "Get going."

Nightmare narrowed his eyes. "Fine. I suppose you're right." He turned back down the hall, stopping once to speak with Megumi.

"...Be careful," she said to him.

He kissed her forehead. "I will. You be careful too. I said I was going to kill him, and I will. This will all be over soon."

With that, he continued on deeper into the temple. Though he lacked the call of the dark energy this time, he knew where he would find Lucifurius - he was nearby, hiding away in his throne room, waiting for Nightmare's arrival.

It was time to end this.


	18. Act XVIII : Terminus

**ACT XVIII : TERMINUS**

At last, he came to the throne room of the black temple Caer Pelyn, stepping inside the massive doorway. Torches flickered on hte walls, but the light was dim, and he oculd only barely make out the outline of Lucifurius on the raised throne at the back wall of the room.

"So you've come," he stated, looking up.

Nightmare stopped and looked at him, not saying anything.

He stood. "The time has come to make your choice, child... Will you fight alongside me, and usher this world into a new era of darkness... Or will you stand against me, an enemy?"

Nightmare still stared forward, unwavering. "You no longer control me. I am not your executioner. I have found a new purpose, and I no longer have need of your guidance."

Lucifurius stared back at him, rage beginning to come to life in his eyes. "You... disappoint me! You could have had it all, the world at your disposal and all the power in the world, and you instead choose to side with the witch? _Why_? I created you, I gifted you with life and you repay me like this? This will not stand!"

A blade made up entirely of flames appeared in each of his hands, and he rushed forward. Nightmare blocked the strike, but the swords left a scorch mark across his blade. This was a battle he would need to fight carefully. He remembered what Megumi had told him shortly before their arrival here. _Aim for the heart._ The weakest point. One blow to the heart would be his downfall...

* * *

_I knew the truth._

_I saw the beginning. I saw the end. The end of all there was._

_And I realized the truth of what I had done, the horrors I had brought upon this world..._

_The die is cast. The endgame nears._

* * *

"Come, and face your death! I'm _waiting_, you miserable fool. Fight with every ounce of strength in your being! Do not disappoint me further!"

Lucifurius again swept at his, and a roaring burst of flame rushed towards him, one that he barely managed to deflect. The heat quickly dissipated, leaving the room feeling even colder than it had before. Nightmare lashed out, caught Lucifurius's leg. Rage had blinded him. Perhaps this victory would be easier to acheive than he thought...

* * *

_Stygian gramarye, etched with blasphemy,_  
_Whorls and verticals, black with baleful spells,_  
_Vespertine conjurings, doomsayer's prophecy,_  
_Pellucid lotus-dreams, spawn of the elder fiends,_  
_Cryptic halls, squamous mass, malevolent diabolist,_  
_Black desire, knighted woe, shunned and forbidden tome,_  
_Brooding dark, deepest night, ritual, abhorrent sight,_  
_Whispering, malignity, hearken to the summoning!_

_All will be ground to dust between the grand gears of this pitiless cosmic engine..._

_And I, my mistakes, my sins, are the cause of it all._

* * *

Lucifurius roared in pain as black blood started to run from the wound. "Hah... You fight well, child, just as expected. I never would have hoped for anything more than for you to go down struggling! It is a true shame you will not fight alongside me... Together, we could build this world anew! Oh, why have you forsaken me? It _pains_ me so, but your indisposition is a sickness unto death, and if death is how it must end, so mote it be!"

Nightmare slashed at him again, catching his arm and cutting it through to the bone. He would win this. He would defeat Lucifurius and he would spend the rest of eternity with Megumi, for being with her was his only purpose, his only reason for existing...

* * *

_But though I have failed, I know that the others of the Order will do what is necessary, I know they will seek me out and kill me, and this blade will be denied a host, and will wreak this hvoc no longer..._

_And someday, that which I have awakened will finally be destroyed..._

_Though I will be forever sentenced to watch, to look on, and to never intervene... As punishment for what I have done._

* * *

Nightmare knocked the blade into Lucifurius's side horns, causing him to falter, and tore the tip across his chest. If he could keep inflicting injuries like this, Lucifurius would gradually weaken... He could finish this.

"You were my only companion in the solitude of my conquest, and now, even you turn against me... After all we destroyed, all we accomplished together, you have turned your back on me, you have chosen to give in to the same pathetic emotions as these humans, when you could have had them all at your feet!"

Flames lashed out again, and again he avoided them.

"But do not worry, I will ensure the witch is properly _repaid_ for what she has done to you! You will not go unavenged, my creation!"

Nightmare ducked, and all at once, he saw his chance. With all his might, he stabbed his blade through Lucifurius's heart.

Black blood sprayed from the wound. Shocked, Lucifurius staggered back, pulling the blade from his chest and letting it drop with a metallic clamor as it hit the floor.

"Heh... heheh... So, you have bested me..." He dropped to his knees. "I've taught you well, child... But you seem to have forgotten one thing... The wicked... are not wont to fall alone... And I am no exception."

And Lucifurius faded from existence, and as he did, a burst of something ripped its way straight through the center of Nightmare's chest.


	19. Final Act : Quietus

**FINAL ACT : QUIETUS**

The pain was immediately followed by numbness, and then unawareness that the wound was there at all when he saw Megumi standing in the doorway, first approaching slowly. Lucifurius was gone, defeated. He had won.

But as soon as she saw the blood dripping onto the glittering black tiles of the temple floor, and he staggered and fell to his knees, she broke into a run, horrified. _No. _Not after all this.

She dropped down next to him, gripping his shoulders as he coughed, choking on the blood that was starting to come up his throat, dripping from the corners of his mouth.

"Hah... Should have been more careful..." he gasped, starting to fall back.

She caught him around the shoulders and pulled him closer, trying not see all the blood spilling from the ragged hole in his chest, silently willing him as the tears started to run down her face not to die, to stay alive, he couldn't die now, not after all this.

"At least he's gone now... It wasn't entirely a waste."

Megumi shook her head. "Don't say that. You aren't going to die."

He coughed again, shoulders heaving. "...I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't think... All I wanted was to be with you... I didn't want anything in the way of that... I thought... I thought once he was gone..." His words caught in his throat, and he stopped, barely managing shallow, labored breaths.

She smoothed back his hair, stifling a sob. "Shh... It's... It's alright... Nothing can ever get in the way of that."

He smiled slightly. "I'm glad to... hear you say that. I'm sorry I couldn't..." He took one last sharp, shuddering breath.

"Nightmare..." She clung to him, sobbing. "You can't die, not after all this... I promised I was going to make you immortal, so you could be with me forever... But your end of the promise was to stay alive until I could! I can't lose you, after I've lost everyone else... I love you, I love you more than anything... You can't... Nightmare..."

But the truth was inescapable. The feeble beating of his torn heart had ceased altogether, the blood no longer flowed from the wound. Nightmare was dead and gone, and no amount of pleading would change that.

"No! You can't just die, not after everything we did to get here! This was... This was only supposed to be the beginning, this can't be how it ends!" She buried her face in his shoulder, unable to do anything but remain in place, clinging to him, paralyzed by despair.

She barely heard when Ismaire spoke to her. "I'm sorry, Megumi."

She shook her head. "Tell me this isn't... I can't... He can't be..."

Silence. Ismaire had nothing she could say.

After what seemed like hours, she stepped forward, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Megumi. Come on, you have to let go. You can't... There's nothing you can do." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I... I was wrong. If he died protecting you, then he really did love you... And I wish it didn't take this to get me to realize that."

Megumi sobbed again. "I can't keep doing this. I can't keep living when I'm losing everything that matters to me..."

Ismaire frowned. "But you have to. You're always talking about fulfilling the responsibilities given to you as an Elemental. And you still have them."

"I've done enough. I can't keep going, I can't keep protecting a world that's taken everything from me."

"Then don't. But Nightmare died so that you could stay alive, and if you give up, then he died for nothing."

Megumi slowly looked up and turned to face her. "Come back and say that after you have nothing to live for, Ismaire. He was what I was living for, being with him, because he was the only one I've ever loved and ever will." It seemed so wrong to speak as though he was just something that had been, not something that still was.

"Then you'll be with him in due time. But right now, you still have responsibilities to your people. And Calstifer, Malklith, Gambit, and me. We're your friends. We aren't going to let you give up because you think there's nothing to live for. That's not true. There's always something."

Megumi looked back at Nightmare. He'd been so alive not a few minutes ago, how could he be so dead now? "No, Ismaire. There was something. There isn't anymore."

"Well, I'll find something." Ismaire's tone was adamant, but there was a hint of desparation beneath it.

Megumi wiped away the tears running down her face only to have them replaced by more. "Fine, if you want to me to keep living like this, then I will. But I can't promise it will be for long, or that it will really even be considered living."

"Then you'll give us time to show you, at least, that there's always something."

There wouldn't be. There would never be. The only person she had ever loved was gone.

_But don't worry, my love... I'll be joining you soon enough._


	20. Epilogue : Shatter

**EPILOGUE : SHATTER**

A month passed.

Nothing seemed to make the pain any more bearable - Megumi was surrounded by concern at all times, people trying to do whatever they could to bring her back to reality, help her rid herself of the horrible, aching longing that never left. They spoke and their words meant nothing, their gestures of caring, sad smiles, words of encouragement, none of it held any meaning.

She didn't know why she wasn't allowed to die already. In all ways except that everyone else seemed to think she was still alive, she was already dead.

It never left her. There was never even a fraction of a second when she was allowed to forget, every dream she ever had was of him, bleeding to death in her arms, dying for her, leaving her forever alone.

Whispers of a coup d'etat circulated through the kingdom. Megumi was gone, over the edge, no longer fit to rule. Her generals did most of the talking in the conferences she attended, she sat empty eyed and somewhere far away and eventually no one tried to get her attention anymore.

She rarely said a word. She was ambivalent, indifferent, distant to all those around her. She gave no indication of the pain within. Even if she did, how could they possibly understand?

She had not simply broken. She had shattered, into pieces too small to pick up and put back together.

Some days, she would find somewhere secluded - an empty room, a dark corner, anywhere where there was silence, anywhere she wouldn't be followed - and stay there until someone, usually Ismaire, had to physically pull her away and take her back to her quarters, where she would be made to eat, and kept under constant surveillance.

Suicide, if she managed it, would be an accomplishment.

After a while, Ismaire gave up on saying anything. She still dragged Megumi out of the shadows, making sure that she ate, that she had no opportunities to kill herself, but when she watched over her, they sat in silence, a million condolences that would never amount to anything hanging in the air between them.

One day when Ismaire routinely took her back, no longer trying to keep her from leaving her watch because she would always have the impetus and following it was an involuntary, Megumi finally broke down again. Her carefully placed indifference shattered, and she cried until she had no tears left, until her head ached with thoughts and memories that would never leave her. Ismaire did not try to console her, neither did she simply leave as she had in the first few days after Nightmare's death. Rather, her focus became an almost mothering one, guiding Megumi to her bed, tossing the blankets over her, and sitting down in a chair on the other side of the room until she fell asleep, all without a word. When she woke again Ismaire was gone.

The snow was still falling in bucketfuls, hard to disern against the bright white of the sky. White, everything white. Colorless. Listless. Cold. Dead. Just like him and just like she was inside.

Threats of a coup increased and prime suspects were executed. Plans of rebellion were quieted. In Megumi's near-absence, Ismaire and the Fire Elemental, Calstifer, had essentially taken over her position as ruler. She wasn't even really a figurehead, because figureheads spoke out and motivated their people, or at least gave a semblance of living. Figureheads were not mad, broken remnants of a woman who had once been a capable leader.

She spoke one day to Ismaire, for the first time in weeks.

"I'm leaving," she said, in a flat, hollow voice.

The look on Ismaire's face, the tightening of her jaw, told that she knew where ever Megumi was going, she wasn't going to come back. "...Fine. I won't stop you." Her voice was equally flat, toneless, devoid of opposition or sadness. She knew Megumi was beyond saving now. "Goodbye. We'll meet again someday."

Megumi took nothing with her. She left in the middle of the day, trudging through the snow. Seconds, minutes, hours, days ran together. The next thing she was aware of was being curled up on the stone floor of Ostreinsburg castle. And then she must have left there at some point because she was huddled in the deep snow in the surrounding forests, unfeeling to the cold. She wanted so badly just to freeze to death.

She walked on, tears running down her face when she actually thought about where she was, where she was going. How empty she felt, how that emptiness would never fill in. She returned to the castle eventually.

The stone floor was cold and the inside was dark in the absence of torchlight. She felt safer here. The memories didn't try to strike in the dark, in the silence.

But she knew they would come eventually, and she was alone. Nightmares would strike, and she was alone without the one who would chase them all away.

Solitude really was a greater pain than any wound could give.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS**

And now, it is finished.

It took a grand total of five months (with a three-month period of writer's block), but yes, I've acheived the rare accomplishment of actually finishing a story I started!

Hooray!

Of course, I couldn't have done it all by myself. So special thanks go out to everyone who read and critiqued this, including but probably not limited to Annah, who encouraged and helped get me un-stuck whenever I was writing, Okaiju, who read and provided thoughtful insight but also joked around so I wouldn't die from a lack of silliness, and Callie, who helped me persevere through to the end this by telling me: "I'm not going to even START reading it until you have it FINISHED!" Thanks, Callie. Well, it's finished now, so that means you have to read it. :)

Last but not least, to my fabulous former English teacher, who was so dedicated to helping me in my quest to be a writer that she literally read this until she was too tired to stay awake and fell asleep. And then apparently dreamed about it! You're right, Maragaret Schtauffen SHOULD have been the one to get resurrected, and pissed as hell about it. XD

And to everyone out there who read and favorited this. I don't know all your names, but thanks to all of you. You made it that much easier to finish this.

Concerning my ending, whether or not Megumi actually killed herself or just wandered in crazyland forever is entirely up to you the reader. The best stories are all about interpretation, hmm?

Musical inspiration, as always, includes Epica, Estatic Fear, Opera IX, Temnozor, APC, and a little bit of Bal-Sagoth. As well as numerous game soundtracks I won't even begin to list.

Well, that's all from me! Next up: Finishing OMWF!

Peace out!

-_Birdhouse in your Soul_


End file.
